Darke County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Greenville Township, Greenville and Wayne Township
Darke 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. Darke County is home to Greenville Township, Greenville, Wayne Township and Twin Township. Next door, Montgomery County has 5 data centers. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Arcanum Peaking (petroleum, 2 MW, 2022). Construction employs 922, up 2.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 248 MW of capacity, 95% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Darke County
Darke County is home to Greenville Township, Greenville, Wayne Township and Twin Township.
And 16 smaller places.
- Bradford also extends into Miami County.
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 Darke County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 51,901 | 51,520 | ▼ 0.7% | 49th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,271 | 18,317 | ▲ 0.3% | 47th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,357 | $53,344 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 903 | 922 | ▲ 2.1% | 41st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Darke County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. Employers here counted 18,317 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019. 51,520 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Darke County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Darke 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% |
| Dayton Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 478,741 | 15.32¢ | 20% |
| Pioneer Rural Elec Coop, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,310 | 16.18¢ | 6% |
| Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,836 | 15.27¢ | 34% |
| City of Arcanum - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Darke Rural Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Versailles - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 236 MW | 95% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 2% |
| Wind | 4 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville Electric Generating Station | Buckeye Power, Inc | Natural gas | 236 MW | 2000 |
| Versailles Peaking | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1999 |
| Whirlpool Corp-Greenville Wind Farm | Greenville Wind 26, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2018 |
| DG AMP Solar Versailles | DG AMP Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcanum Peaking | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2022 |
| Arcanum | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2022 |
The Darke County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,317 | $53,344 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 922 | $68,239 | 0.95 |
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 Darke County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Darke County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Montgomery County.
Darke County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Darke County, Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darke County | 51,520 | ▲ 0.3% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Auglaize County | 45,909 | ▲ 0.6% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Jay County IN | 20,118 | ▼ 2.2% | 273 MW | 139 MW | — | — |
| Mercer County | 42,737 | ▼ 0.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Miami County | 112,634 | ▲ 2.1% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 539,598 | ▼ 1.5% | 855 MW | 108 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Preble County | 40,664 | ▲ 8.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County IN | 24,438 | ▲ 10.5% | 850 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 48,065 | ▼ 4.4% | 17 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wayne County IN | 66,169 | ▼ 3.1% | 225 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Darke County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Darke County, Ohio?
7 utilities have service territory in Darke County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Dayton Power & Light Co, Pioneer Rural Elec Coop, Inc - (OH), Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Greenville Township, OH in?
Greenville Township is in Darke County, Ohio. About 17,035 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Greenville, OH in?
Greenville is in Darke County, Ohio. About 12,680 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Darke County?
4 operating plants with 248 MW of capacity. The largest is Greenville Electric Generating Station (236 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Darke County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Darke County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Montgomery County.
Is Darke County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,317 jobs in 2025 against 18,271 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 903 to 922.
Does Darke County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Darke County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.