Hancock County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Findlay, Liberty Township and Washington Township
Hancock County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 174, up 79.4% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $75,123 a year. Hancock County is home to Findlay, Liberty Township, Washington Township and Marion Township. 235 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Border Basin, LLC (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among Ohio's counties. 120 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Henry County has 206 MW of planned generation. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Hancock County
Hancock County is home to Findlay, Liberty Township, Washington Township and Marion Township.
And 6 smaller places.
- Fostoria also extends into Seneca County, Wood County.
- Bluffton also extends into Allen 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 Hancock County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 74,939 | 75,034 | ▲ 0.1% | 33rd of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46,090 | 43,831 | ▼ 4.9% | 76th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,792 | $64,821 | ▲ 25.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 97 | 174 | ▲ 79.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 235 MW | 1163% of today's fleet | 5th of 22 by size |
Employers here counted 43,831 jobs in 2025, down 4.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 20 MW of capacity, 74% of it wind. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Hancock 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. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 75,034 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Hancock County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hancock 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% |
| Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,307 | 17.05¢ | 29% |
| North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,433 | 17.09¢ | 14% |
| Village of Arcadia - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 15 MW | 74% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 16% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zephyr Wind | Findlay Wind 19, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2015 |
| Zephyr Wind Project - 2.0 | Findlay Wind 30, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2020 |
| Energy Developments, Hancock | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2014 |
| Findlay Wind Farm | Findlay Wind 20, LLC | Wind | 3 MW | 2015 |
| Valfilm Wind Project | Findlay Wind 25, LLC | Wind | 3 MW | 2018 |
| Buckeye Power Inc. | Township Road 215 Solar Project 2021, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border Basin Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 120 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Border Basin, LLC |
| South Branch Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 115 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Leeward Asset Management, LLC |
The Hancock County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 43,831 | $64,821 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 174 | $75,123 | 0.55 |
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 Hancock County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hancock County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Wood County.
Hancock County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Hancock County, Wood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 75,034 | ▼ 4.9% | 20 MW | 235 MW | — | — |
| Allen County | 100,881 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 30,072 | ▼ 7.0% | 619 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 27,598 | ▼ 1.0% | 69 MW | 206 MW | — | — |
| Putnam County | 34,380 | ▲ 4.4% | 205 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Seneca County | 54,522 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Wood County | 134,176 | ▲ 10.3% | 915 MW | 50 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Wyandot County | 21,567 | ▲ 2.7% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Hancock County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hancock County, Ohio?
5 utilities have service territory in Hancock County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc, North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (OH), Village of Arcadia - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Findlay, OH in?
Findlay is in Hancock County, Ohio. About 40,370 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hancock County?
6 operating plants with 20 MW of capacity. The largest is Zephyr Wind (4 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Hancock County?
235 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 120 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Border Basin, LLC.
Are there data centers in Hancock County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hancock County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Henry County.
Is Hancock County adding jobs?
Employers counted 43,831 jobs in 2025 against 46,090 in 2019 (-4.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hancock County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hancock County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.