Columbiana County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Perry Township, Salem and Fairfield Township
Columbiana County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Columbiana County is home to Perry Township, Salem, Fairfield Township and East Liverpool. 1,210 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Next door, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, has 402 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,210 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Columbiana County
Columbiana County is home to Perry Township, Salem, Fairfield Township and East Liverpool.
And 7 smaller places.
- Columbiana also extends into Mahoning County.
- Washingtonville also extends into Mahoning County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Calcutta, Damascus, East Rochester, Glenmoor, Guilford Lake, Homeworth, La Croft, Lake Tomahawk, Negley, Salem Heights.
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 Columbiana County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 101,661 | 99,377 | ▼ 2.2% | 27th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29,755 | 28,389 | ▼ 4.6% | 74th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,987 | $51,210 | ▲ 31.4% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 138 | 149 | ▲ 8.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 3.7% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,210 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 149, up 8.0% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $69,143 a year. Employers here counted 28,389 jobs in 2025, down 4.6% from 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Columbiana 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. 99,377 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Columbiana County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,210 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Columbiana 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% |
| Carroll Electric Coop, Inc - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Columbiana - (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 | 1,210 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Field Energy | South Field Energy, LLC | Natural gas | 1,210 MW | 2021 |
The Columbiana County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,389 | $51,210 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 149 | $69,143 | 0.73 |
| Power and communication line construction | 103 | $77,844 | 2.25 |
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 Columbiana County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Columbiana County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Columbiana County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Columbiana County, Lawrence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbiana County | 99,377 | ▼ 4.6% | 1,210 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaver County PA | 166,032 | ▼ 13.8% | 2,218 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Carroll County | 26,475 | ▼ 2.4% | 832 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County WV | 27,729 | ▼ 8.0% | — | 28 MW | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 63,597 | ▼ 5.6% | 1,880 MW | 63 MW | — | — |
| Lawrence County PA | 83,911 | ▼ 4.9% | 1,388 MW | 402 MW | — | — |
| Mahoning County | 224,706 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Stark County | 373,771 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | 150 MW | 4 | — |
More of Ohio
Columbiana County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Columbiana County, Ohio?
4 utilities have service territory in Columbiana County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Carroll Electric Coop, Inc - (OH), City of Columbiana - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Perry Township, OH in?
Perry Township is in Columbiana County, Ohio. About 15,924 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Salem, OH in?
Salem is in Columbiana County, Ohio. About 11,650 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Columbiana County?
1 operating plant with 1,210 MW of capacity. The largest is South Field Energy (1,210 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Columbiana County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Columbiana County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lawrence County.
Is Columbiana County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,389 jobs in 2025 against 29,755 in 2019 (-4.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Columbiana County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Columbiana County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.