Holmes County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hardy Township, Salt Creek Township and Berlin Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Holmes County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Holmes County is home to Hardy Township, Salt Creek Township, Berlin Township and Paint Township. Next door, Stark County has 4 data centers. Employers here counted 21,972 jobs in 2025, up 10.4% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 88 Ohio counties). Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Holmes County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities.
Cities and towns in Holmes County
Holmes County is home to Hardy Township, Salt Creek Township, Berlin Township and Paint Township.
- Baltic also extends into Tuscarawas County.
- Loudonville also extends into Ashland County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Berlin, Lake Buckhorn, Mount Hope, Walnut Creek, Winesburg.
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 Holmes County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 44,239 | 44,970 | ▲ 1.7% | 54th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,906 | 21,972 | ▲ 10.4% | 7th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,433 | $56,483 | ▲ 36.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 108 | 87 | ▼ 19.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 2.2% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
44,970 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 87, down 19.4% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $62,023 a year.
Who powers Holmes County
Utilities with service territory in Holmes 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% |
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| Holmes-Wayne Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,714 | 16.52¢ | 28% |
| Frontier Power Company | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Holmes County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Holmes County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,972 | $56,483 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 87 | $62,023 | 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 Holmes County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Holmes County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Holmes County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Holmes County, Stark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holmes County | 44,970 | ▲ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Ashland County | 52,523 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Coshocton County | 37,188 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Knox County | 64,002 | ● 0.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Stark County | 373,771 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | 150 MW | 4 | — |
| Tuscarawas County | 92,373 | ▲ 1.3% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 116,758 | ▼ 2.4% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Holmes County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Holmes County, Ohio?
4 utilities have service territory in Holmes County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Holmes-Wayne Electric Coop Inc, Frontier Power Company. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Holmes County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Holmes County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stark County.
Is Holmes County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,972 jobs in 2025 against 19,906 in 2019 (+10.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Holmes County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Holmes County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.