Phelps County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Holdrege
Phelps County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Phelps County is home to Holdrege and Bertrand. Next door, Buffalo County has 3 data centers. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 4,856 jobs in 2025, up 2.5% from 2019. Southern Public Power District is the largest utility serving Phelps County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 9.21¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities.
Cities and towns in Phelps County
Phelps County is home to Holdrege and Bertrand.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Phelps County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,978 | 8,994 | ▲ 0.2% | 30th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,739 | 4,856 | ▲ 2.5% | 31st of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,701 | $58,826 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.2% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
8,994 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Phelps County
Utilities with service territory in Phelps County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 15,215 | 9.21¢ | 27% |
| City of Holdrege | — | — | — | — | — |
| Twin Valleys Public Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Phelps County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Phelps County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,856 | $58,826 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 229 | $61,516 | 0.89 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Phelps County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Phelps County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Furnas County, Harlan County, Kearney County.
Phelps County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Phelps County, Buffalo County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County | 8,994 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Buffalo County | 51,172 | ▲ 3.6% | 7 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Dawson County | 24,452 | ▲ 2.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 2,795 | ▲ 6.7% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Furnas County | 4,524 | ▼ 8.3% | 7 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Gosper County | 1,803 | ▲ 2.2% | 153 MW | — | — | — |
| Harlan County | 3,000 | ▲ 1.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Kearney County | 6,790 | ▼ 7.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Nebraska
Phelps County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Phelps County, Nebraska?
3 utilities have service territory in Phelps County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Public Power District, City of Holdrege, Twin Valleys Public Power Dist. The largest, Southern Public Power District, charged residential customers 9.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Phelps County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Phelps County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Buffalo County.
Is Phelps County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,856 jobs in 2025 against 4,739 in 2019 (+2.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Phelps County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Phelps County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.