Sherman County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Loup City
No data center or power plant project is on record in Sherman County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Sherman County is home to Loup City. Next door, Buffalo County has 3 data centers. Employers here counted 679 jobs in 2025, down 12.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Sherman County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Sherman County
Sherman County is home to Loup City.
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 Sherman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,960 | 2,924 | ▼ 1.2% | 66th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 777 | 679 | ▼ 12.6% | 89th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $30,536 | $40,416 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 2.4% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
2,924 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Sherman County
Utilities with service territory in Sherman 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% |
| Dawson Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,080 | 11.41¢ | 13% |
| Custer Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 4,707 | 12.71¢ | 22% |
| Loup Valleys Rural P P D | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Sherman County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sherman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 679 | $40,416 | 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 Sherman County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sherman County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Custer County.
Sherman County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Sherman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherman County | 2,924 | ▼ 12.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Buffalo County | 51,172 | ▲ 3.6% | 7 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Custer County | 10,500 | ▲ 0.8% | 166 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Greeley County | 2,154 | ▲ 2.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 6,538 | ▲ 1.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Valley County | 4,094 | ▼ 3.1% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Sherman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sherman County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Sherman County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Dawson Power District, Custer Public Power District, Loup Valleys Rural P P D. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Sherman County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sherman County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Buffalo County.
Is Sherman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 679 jobs in 2025 against 777 in 2019 (-12.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Sherman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sherman County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.