Hardin County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pleasant Township, Kenton and Liberty Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Hardin County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Hardin County is home to Pleasant Township, Kenton, Liberty Township and Ada. Next door, Union County has 7 data centers. 550 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 7,632 jobs in 2025, down 7.0% from 2019. Its power plants have 619 MW of capacity, 89% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Hardin County
Hardin County is home to Pleasant Township, Kenton, Liberty Township and Ada.
- Ridgeway also extends into Logan County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dola.
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 Hardin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,724 | 30,072 | ▼ 2.1% | 72nd of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,204 | 7,632 | ▼ 7.0% | 85th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,300 | $52,079 | ▲ 39.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 133 | 140 | ▲ 5.3% | 35th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 16 | ▲ 6.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 550 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 140, up 5.3% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 16, up 6.7% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $46,599 a year. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Hardin County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 30,072 people live here, down 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Hardin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +550 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hardin 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% |
| Union Rural Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,812 | 15.67¢ | 17% |
| Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,307 | 17.05¢ | 29% |
| Logan County Coop Power & Light | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 553 MW | 89% |
| Wind | 66 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin Solar III | Hardin Solar Energy III | Solar | 250 MW | 2025 |
| Hardin Solar Energy II LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2024 |
| Hardin Solar Energy LLC | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 150 MW | 2021 |
| Hog Creek Wind Project | Hog Creek Wind Project LLC | Wind | 66 MW | 2017 |
| Ohio Northern University Solar Site | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2016 |
The Hardin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,632 | $52,079 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 140 | $48,580 | 0.35 |
| Electrical contractors | 16 | $46,599 | 0.29 |
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 Hardin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hardin County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Hardin County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Hardin County, Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County | 30,072 | ▼ 7.0% | 619 MW | — | — | — |
| Allen County | 100,881 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Auglaize County | 45,909 | ▲ 0.6% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County | 75,034 | ▼ 4.9% | 20 MW | 235 MW | — | — |
| Logan County | 46,302 | ▲ 1.5% | 253 MW | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 65,115 | ▼ 5.9% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 73,446 | ▲ 9.8% | 565 MW | 50 MW | 7 | — |
| Wyandot County | 21,567 | ▲ 2.7% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Hardin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hardin County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Hardin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Dayton Power & Light Co, Union Rural Electric Coop, Inc, Hancock-Wood Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hardin County?
5 operating plants with 619 MW of capacity. The largest is Hardin Solar III (250 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Hardin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hardin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Union County.
Is Hardin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,632 jobs in 2025 against 8,204 in 2019 (-7.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 133 to 140.
Does Hardin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hardin County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.