Ashland County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ashland, Jackson Township and Green Township
Ashland 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. Ashland County is home to Ashland, Jackson Township, Green Township and Montgomery Township. Next door, Huron County has 1 data center and 297 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 857, up 8.5% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 18,625 jobs in 2025, down 3.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Ashland County
Ashland County is home to Ashland, Jackson Township, Green Township and Montgomery Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cinnamon Lake, Nankin, Sullivan.
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 Ashland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 52,485 | 52,523 | ▲ 0.1% | 48th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,295 | 18,625 | ▼ 3.5% | 68th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,122 | $50,369 | ▲ 28.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 790 | 857 | ▲ 8.5% | 29th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Ashland County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 52,523 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Ashland County
Utilities with service territory in Ashland County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,339,232 | 19.33¢ | 22% |
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| Licking Rural Electric Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,820 | 16.88¢ | 7% |
| Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,234 | 17.26¢ | 14% |
| Holmes-Wayne Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,714 | 16.52¢ | 28% |
| Firelands Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Ashland County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Ashland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,625 | $50,369 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 857 | $79,597 | 0.87 |
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 Ashland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ashland County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Ashland County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Ashland County, Huron 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland County | 52,523 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Holmes County | 44,970 | ▲ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Huron County | 58,250 | ▲ 0.1% | 6 MW | 297 MW | 1 | — |
| Knox County | 64,002 | ● 0.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Lorain County | 323,219 | ▲ 0.8% | 577 MW | — | — | — |
| Medina County | 185,025 | ▲ 3.1% | 36 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Richland County | 124,893 | ▼ 3.1% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 116,758 | ▼ 2.4% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Ashland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ashland County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Ashland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Licking Rural Electric Inc, Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ashland, OH in?
Ashland is in Ashland County, Ohio. About 18,730 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Ashland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ashland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Huron County.
Is Ashland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,625 jobs in 2025 against 19,295 in 2019 (-3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 790 to 857.
Does Ashland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ashland County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.