# Jackson County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Home to Jackson, Wellston and Jefferson Township

No data center or power plant project is on record in Jackson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Jackson County is home to Jackson, Wellston, Jefferson Township and Lick Township. Next door, Lawrence County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Jackson 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. Employers here counted 10,220 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019.

+0.8%
total jobs since 2019, now 10,220

19.33¢
per kWh for Ohio Power Co residential customers, 2024

32,817
residents, 2025

## Cities and towns in Jackson County

Jackson County is home to Jackson, Wellston, Jefferson Township and Lick Township.

Jackson6,233 residents
Wellston5,488 residents
Jefferson Township3,521 residents
Lick Township2,652 residents
Franklin Township2,306 residents
Madison Township2,120 residents
Coal Township1,986 residents
Scioto Township1,962 residents
Liberty Township1,788 residents
Oak Hill1,420 residents
Jackson Township1,225 residents
Bloomfield Township1,145 residents
Milton Township1,051 residents
Washington Township796 residents
Hamilton Township544 residents
Coalton446 residents

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 Jackson County

| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 32,671 | 32,817 | ▲ 0.4% | 71st of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,142 | 10,220 | ▲ 0.8% | 44th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,579 | $47,906 | ▲ 31.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 4.1% | ▼ 1.4pts | — |

32,817 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020.

## Who powers Jackson County

### Utilities with service territory in Jackson 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% |
| Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,349 | 19.90¢ | 8% |
| City of Jackson - (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.

No operating power plant is located in Jackson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.

## The Jackson County labor market

| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,220 | $47,906 | 1.00 |

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 Jackson County

No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.

## Jackson County and its neighbors

Of the 6 counties that border Jackson County, Gallia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 32,817 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Gallia County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/gallia-county) | 29,072 | ▲ 2.5% | 3,686 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/lawrence-county) | 55,710 | ▲ 6.1% | 1,430 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Pike County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/pike-county) | 27,061 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Ross County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/ross-county) | 76,429 | ▼ 2.6% | 582 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
| Scioto County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/scioto-county) | 71,365 | ▲ 7.1% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Vinton County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/vinton-county) | 12,645 | ▼ 3.6% | 978 MW | — | — | — |

## More of Ohio

[All Ohio countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio)[Ross County76,429 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/ross-county)[Scioto County71,365 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/scioto-county)[Lawrence County55,710 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/lawrence-county)[Gallia County29,072 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/gallia-county)[Pike County27,061 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/pike-county)

## Jackson County, answered from the record

### Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Ohio?

3 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc, City of Jackson - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.

### Are there data centers in Jackson County?

The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lawrence County.

### Is Jackson County adding jobs?

Employers counted 10,220 jobs in 2025 against 10,142 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW).

### Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?

No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/ohio/jackson-county
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
