Crawford County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bucyrus, Galion and Crestline
No data center or power plant project is on record in Crawford County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Crawford County is home to Bucyrus, Galion, Crestline and Whetstone Township. Construction employs 564, up 29.7% since 2019. Next door, Huron County has 1 data center and 297 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 85, up 26.9% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $59,785 a year. 117 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Crawford County
Crawford County is home to Bucyrus, Galion, Crestline and Whetstone Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Oceola, Sulphur Springs.
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 Crawford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,013 | 41,896 | ▼ 0.3% | 59th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,777 | 12,572 | ▼ 1.6% | 58th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,654 | $52,229 | ▲ 28.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 435 | 564 | ▲ 29.7% | 10th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 67 | 85 | ▲ 26.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 117 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 172 MW of capacity, 68% of it solar. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 12,572 jobs in 2025, down 1.6% from 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Crawford County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 41,896 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Crawford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +117 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Crawford 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% |
| North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,433 | 17.09¢ | 14% |
| City of Galion | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mid-Ohio Energy 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.
Operating power plants 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 117 MW | 68% |
| Natural gas | 50 MW | 29% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Creek Solar, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 117 MW | 2025 |
| Galion Generating Station | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Natural gas | 50 MW | 2000 |
| Galion | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2001 |
The Crawford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,572 | $52,229 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 564 | $68,118 | 0.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 85 | $59,785 | 0.94 |
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 Crawford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Crawford County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Crawford County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Crawford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 41,896 | ▼ 1.6% | 172 MW | — | — | — |
| Huron County | 58,250 | ▲ 0.1% | 6 MW | 297 MW | 1 | — |
| Marion County | 65,115 | ▼ 5.9% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Morrow County | 36,305 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 124,893 | ▼ 3.1% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Seneca County | 54,522 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Wyandot County | 21,567 | ▲ 2.7% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Crawford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Crawford County, Ohio?
5 utilities have service territory in Crawford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (OH), City of Galion. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bucyrus, OH in?
Bucyrus is in Crawford County, Ohio. About 11,631 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Galion, OH in?
Galion is in Crawford County, Ohio. About 10,370 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Crawford County?
3 operating plants with 172 MW of capacity. The largest is Sycamore Creek Solar, LLC (117 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Crawford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Crawford County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Huron County.
Is Crawford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,572 jobs in 2025 against 12,777 in 2019 (-1.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 435 to 564.
Does Crawford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Crawford County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.