Cuyahoga County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cleveland, Parma and Lakewood
Cuyahoga County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 26 data centers in Cuyahoga County, 14% of Ohio's total. Cuyahoga County is home to Cleveland, Parma, Lakewood and Euclid. Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 16 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by The Medical Center Company (battery storage). 16 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 3,816, up 15.9% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $85,870 a year.
Cities and towns in Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County is home to Cleveland, Parma, Lakewood and Euclid.
And 16 smaller places.
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 Cuyahoga County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,262,619 | 1,232,925 | ▼ 2.4% | 2nd of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 732,550 | 692,694 | ▼ 5.4% | 79th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,930 | $77,273 | ▲ 31.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,546 | 23,590 | ▲ 4.6% | 36th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,293 | 3,816 | ▲ 15.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,401 | 2,791 | ▲ 99.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 1.9% | ▼ 2.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 73 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 35 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 16 MW | 9% of today's fleet | 20th of 22 by size |
35 MW has retired here since 2019, including Cleveland Works (other technologies, 35 MW, 2023). Construction employs 23,590, up 4.6% since 2019. 73 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Employers here counted 692,694 jobs in 2025, down 5.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 178 MW of capacity, 60% of it other technologies. Ohio Edison Co is the largest utility serving Cuyahoga County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.18¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 1,232,925 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020, 2nd of 88 Ohio counties by population.
Who powers Cuyahoga County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +38 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cuyahoga County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| Cleveland Electric Illum Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 676,098 | 16.76¢ | 24% |
| City of Cleveland - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 64,914 | 14.87¢ | 40% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 106 MW | 60% |
| Natural gas | 33 MW | 19% |
| Petroleum | 30 MW | 17% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 3% |
| Wind | 4 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Works | Cleveland Cliffs | Other technologies | 102 MW | 1965 |
| West 41st Street | City of Cleveland - (OH) | Natural gas | 32 MW | 1970 |
| Collinwood | City of Cleveland - (OH) | Petroleum | 16 MW | 1971 |
| Cleveland Peaking | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 11 MW | 2000 |
| Cuyahoga County Landfill | Madison Energy Holdings LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2018 |
| MCCo BESS Generating Facility | The Medical Center Company | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2012 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCCo BESS Generating Facility | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | The Medical Center Company |
| MCCo BESS Generating Facility | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | The Medical Center Company |
| MCCo BESS Generating Facility | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | The Medical Center Company |
| MCCo BESS Generating Facility | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | The Medical Center Company |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Works | Other technologies | 35 MW | 2023 |
The Cuyahoga County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 692,694 | $77,273 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 23,590 | $86,570 | 0.64 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,816 | $85,870 | 0.76 |
| Data processing and hosting | 2,791 | $142,505 | 1.30 |
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 Cuyahoga County
26 data centers in Cuyahoga County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cuyahoga County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cuyahoga County, Summit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga County | 1,232,925 | ▼ 5.4% | 178 MW | 16 MW | 26 | — |
| Geauga County | 95,676 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 232,217 | ▲ 2.3% | 1,367 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
| Lorain County | 323,219 | ▲ 0.8% | 577 MW | — | — | — |
| Medina County | 185,025 | ▲ 3.1% | 36 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Portage County | 163,404 | ▲ 3.0% | 21 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Summit County | 538,376 | ▼ 2.8% | 20 MW | — | 7 | — |
More of Ohio
Cuyahoga County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cuyahoga County, Ohio?
3 utilities have service territory in Cuyahoga County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Edison Co, Cleveland Electric Illum Co, City of Cleveland - (OH). The largest, Ohio Edison Co, charged residential customers 16.18¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cleveland, OH in?
Cleveland is in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. About 363,608 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Parma, OH in?
Parma is in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. About 78,581 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Lakewood, OH in?
Lakewood is in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. About 49,027 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cuyahoga County?
12 operating plants with 178 MW of capacity. The largest is Cleveland Works (102 MW, other technologies).
How much new power is planned in Cuyahoga County?
16 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 16 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is The Medical Center Company.
Are there data centers in Cuyahoga County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 26 data centers in Cuyahoga County.
Is Cuyahoga County adding jobs?
Employers counted 692,694 jobs in 2025 against 732,550 in 2019 (-5.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 22,546 to 23,590.
Does Cuyahoga County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cuyahoga County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.