Polk County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Stromsburg
Polk 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. Polk County is home to Stromsburg, Osceola and Shelby. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 1,418 jobs in 2025, down 3.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 71% of it wind. Polk County Rural Pub Pwr Dist is the largest utility serving Polk County, one of 3 with territory here.
Cities and towns in Polk County
Polk County is home to Stromsburg, Osceola and Shelby.
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 Polk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,214 | 5,270 | ▲ 1.1% | 53rd of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,473 | 1,418 | ▼ 3.7% | 74th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,714 | $49,490 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.6% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 5,270 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Polk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Polk County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Rural Pub Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Polk - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Stromsburg - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 2 MW | 71% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 29% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Renewables, LLC | Polk County Renewables, LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2018 |
| Stromsburg-Polk County | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Polk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,418 | $49,490 | 1.00 |
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 Polk County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Polk County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Butler County, Seward County.
Polk County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Polk County, Platte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 5,270 | ▼ 3.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 8,507 | ▲ 2.8% | 11 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Hamilton County | 9,678 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Merrick County | 7,905 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Platte County | 35,649 | ▲ 3.7% | 138 MW | — | — | — |
| Seward County | 18,032 | ▼ 1.3% | 3 MW | — | — | 1 |
| York County | 14,564 | ▲ 0.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Polk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Polk County, Nebraska?
3 utilities have service territory in Polk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Polk County Rural Pub Pwr Dist, Village of Polk - (NE), City of Stromsburg - (NE).
What power plants are in Polk County?
2 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Polk County Renewables, LLC (2 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Polk County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Polk County.
Is Polk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,418 jobs in 2025 against 1,473 in 2019 (-3.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Polk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Polk County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.