Sheridan County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gordon
No data center or power plant project is on record in Sheridan County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Sheridan County is home to Gordon, Rushville and Hay Springs. Employers here counted 1,743 jobs in 2025, up 2.8% from 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Sheridan County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 4,809 people live here, down 5.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Sheridan County
Sheridan County is home to Gordon, Rushville and Hay Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): White Clay.
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 Sheridan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,102 | 4,809 | ▼ 5.7% | 56th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,696 | 1,743 | ▲ 2.8% | 28th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,210 | $41,972 | ▲ 26.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
Who powers Sheridan County
Utilities with service territory in Sheridan County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 73,650 | 10.63¢ | 28% |
| Northwest Rural Pub Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| Panhandle Rural El Member Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Sheridan County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sheridan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,743 | $41,972 | 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 Sheridan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sheridan County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Box Butte County, Cherry County.
Sheridan County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Sheridan County, Box Butte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan County | 4,809 | ▲ 2.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Bennett County SD | 3,307 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Box Butte County | 10,494 | ▼ 0.7% | 9 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cherry County | 5,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dawes County | 7,858 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Garden County | 1,804 | ▼ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 561 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Morrill County | 4,404 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Oglala Lakota County SD | 13,338 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Sheridan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sheridan County, Nebraska?
3 utilities have service territory in Sheridan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Northwest Rural Pub Pwr Dist, Panhandle Rural El Member Assn. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Sheridan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sheridan County.
Is Sheridan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,743 jobs in 2025 against 1,696 in 2019 (+2.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Sheridan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sheridan County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.