Carroll County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brown Township, Center Township and Carrollton
Carroll County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Construction employs 629, up 41.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Carroll County is home to Brown Township, Center Township, Carrollton and Harrison Township. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Next door, Stark County has 4 data centers. Its power plants have 832 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Carroll County
Carroll County is home to Brown Township, Center Township, Carrollton and Harrison Township.
- Minerva also extends into Stark County.
- Magnolia also extends into Stark County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Mohawk, Pekin.
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 Carroll County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,761 | 26,475 | ▼ 1.1% | 80th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,271 | 6,119 | ▼ 2.4% | 61st of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,247 | $51,407 | ▲ 31.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 444 | 629 | ▲ 41.7% | 6th of 51 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 95 | 83 | ▼ 12.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 3.5% | ▼ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 6,119 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Carroll County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 26,475 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Carroll County
Utilities with service territory in Carroll 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% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
| Carroll Electric Coop, Inc - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 832 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County Energy | Carroll County Energy LLC | Natural gas | 832 MW | 2017 |
The Carroll County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,119 | $51,407 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 629 | $71,709 | 1.94 |
| Power and communication line construction | 83 | $82,811 | 8.40 |
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 Carroll County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carroll County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Harrison County.
Carroll County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Carroll County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 26,475 | ▼ 2.4% | 832 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbiana County | 99,377 | ▼ 4.6% | 1,210 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 14,070 | ▲ 6.2% | — | 100 MW | — | 1 |
| Jefferson County | 63,597 | ▼ 5.6% | 1,880 MW | 63 MW | — | — |
| Stark County | 373,771 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | 150 MW | 4 | — |
| Tuscarawas County | 92,373 | ▲ 1.3% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Carroll County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carroll County, Ohio?
4 utilities have service territory in Carroll County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, South Central Power Company, Carroll Electric Coop, Inc - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Carroll County?
1 operating plant with 832 MW of capacity. The largest is Carroll County Energy (832 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Carroll County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carroll County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stark County.
Is Carroll County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,119 jobs in 2025 against 6,271 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 444 to 629.
Does Carroll County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carroll County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.