Lorain County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lorain, Elyria and North Ridgeville
The power plants that defined Lorain County are changing. Lorain County is home to Lorain, Elyria, North Ridgeville and Avon Lake. Unemployment was 1.8% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 739 MW has retired here since 2019, including Avon Lake (coal, 680 MW, 2022). Next door, Cuyahoga County has 26 data centers. Its power plants have 577 MW of capacity, 77% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Lorain County
Lorain County is home to Lorain, Elyria, North Ridgeville and Avon Lake.
And 10 smaller places.
- Vermilion also extends into Erie County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eaton Estates, Pheasant Run.
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 Lorain County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 313,514 | 323,219 | ▲ 3.1% | 9th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 98,898 | 99,738 | ▲ 0.8% | 43rd of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,126 | $58,009 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 426 | 409 | ▼ 4.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 1.8% | ▼ 2.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 739 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 409, down 4.0% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $65,977 a year. Ohio Edison Co is the largest utility serving Lorain County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.18¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. Employers here counted 99,738 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 323,219 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020, 9th of 88 Ohio counties by population.
Who powers Lorain County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −739 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lorain County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| Cleveland Electric Illum Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 676,098 | 16.76¢ | 24% |
| Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,234 | 17.26¢ | 14% |
| City of Amherst- (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Firelands Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Grafton - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Oberlin - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Wellington - (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.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 442 MW | 77% |
| Petroleum | 133 MW | 23% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Lorain | Vermillion Power LLC | Natural gas | 556 MW | 1973 |
| Oberlin (OH) | City of Oberlin - (OH) | Natural gas | 18 MW | 1948 |
| Oberlin Spear Point Solar One | Oberlin College | Solar | 2 MW | 2012 |
| Wellington | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 1 MW | 1998 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Lake | Coal | 680 MW | 2022 |
| Avon Lake | Petroleum | 32 MW | 2022 |
| Loraine County Project | Other technologies | 27 MW | 2023 |
The Lorain County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 99,738 | $58,009 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 409 | $65,977 | 0.57 |
| Data processing and hosting | 57 | $244,947 | 0.18 |
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 Lorain County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lorain County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Lorain County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lorain County, Cuyahoga 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorain County | 323,219 | ▲ 0.8% | 577 MW | — | — | — |
| Ashland County | 52,523 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Cuyahoga County | 1,232,925 | ▼ 5.4% | 178 MW | 16 MW | 26 | — |
| Erie County | 73,296 | ▼ 0.7% | 127 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Huron County | 58,250 | ▲ 0.1% | 6 MW | 297 MW | 1 | — |
| Medina County | 185,025 | ▲ 3.1% | 36 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of Ohio
Lorain County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lorain County, Ohio?
8 utilities have service territory in Lorain County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Edison Co, Cleveland Electric Illum Co, Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc, City of Amherst- (OH). The largest, Ohio Edison Co, charged residential customers 16.18¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lorain, OH in?
Lorain is in Lorain County, Ohio. About 65,366 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Elyria, OH in?
Elyria is in Lorain County, Ohio. About 53,634 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is North Ridgeville, OH in?
North Ridgeville is in Lorain County, Ohio. About 37,786 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lorain County?
4 operating plants with 577 MW of capacity. The largest is West Lorain (556 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Lorain County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lorain County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cuyahoga County.
Is Lorain County adding jobs?
Employers counted 99,738 jobs in 2025 against 98,898 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lorain County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lorain County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.