Fairfield County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Violet Township, Lancaster and Pickerington
Fairfield County sits inside the data center build-out. Electrical contractors employ 836, up 108.0% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $111,847 a year. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Fairfield County. Construction employs 3,630, up 41.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Fairfield County is home to Violet Township, Lancaster, Pickerington and part of Columbus (11,742 of its 938,396 residents). 220 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by EDF Renewables Development, Inc. (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among Ohio's counties.
Cities and towns in Fairfield County
Fairfield County is home to Violet Township, Lancaster, Pickerington and part of Columbus (11,742 of its 938,396 residents).
And 6 smaller places.
- Columbus also extends into Franklin County, Delaware County.
- Canal Winchester also extends into Franklin County.
- Reynoldsburg also extends into Franklin County, Licking County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fairfield Beach, Hamburg, Hide-A-Way Hills.
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 Fairfield County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 159,451 | 169,752 | ▲ 6.5% | 19th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 44,048 | 48,050 | ▲ 9.1% | 11th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,858 | $55,703 | ▲ 39.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,575 | 3,630 | ▲ 41.0% | 7th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 402 | 836 | ▲ 108.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4 | 12 | ▲ 200.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 220 MW | no fleet today | 6th of 22 by size |
Employers here counted 48,050 jobs in 2025, up 9.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Fairfield County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 169,752 people live here, up 6.5% since 2020.
Who powers Fairfield County
Utilities with service territory in Fairfield 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% |
| Duke Energy Ohio Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 693,435 | 15.00¢ | 26% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Fairfield County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cottontail Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 220 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | EDF Renewables Development, Inc. |
The Fairfield County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 48,050 | $55,703 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,630 | $85,880 | 1.43 |
| Electrical contractors | 836 | $111,847 | 2.41 |
| Power and communication line construction | 158 | $99,410 | 2.04 |
| Data processing and hosting | 12 | $103,778 | 0.08 |
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 Fairfield County
3 data centers in Fairfield County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Fairfield County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Fairfield County, Franklin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County | 169,752 | ▲ 9.1% | — | 220 MW | 3 | — |
| Franklin County | 1,361,536 | ▲ 3.4% | 15 MW | 400 MW | 56 | 1 |
| Hocking County | 27,512 | ▲ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Licking County | 185,564 | ▲ 18.7% | 3 MW | 350 MW | 32 | — |
| Perry County | 35,918 | ▼ 5.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Pickaway County | 62,978 | ▲ 18.5% | 764 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Ohio
Fairfield County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fairfield County, Ohio?
3 utilities have service territory in Fairfield County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, South Central Power Company. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Violet Township, OH in?
Violet Township is in Fairfield County, Ohio. About 50,908 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Lancaster, OH in?
Lancaster is in Fairfield County, Ohio. About 41,956 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Pickerington, OH in?
Pickerington is in Fairfield County, Ohio. About 26,256 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
How much new power is planned in Fairfield County?
220 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is EDF Renewables Development, Inc..
Are there data centers in Fairfield County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Fairfield County.
Is Fairfield County adding jobs?
Employers counted 48,050 jobs in 2025 against 44,048 in 2019 (+9.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,575 to 3,630.
Does Fairfield County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fairfield County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.