Marion County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Marion Township, Marion and Pleasant Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Marion County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Marion County is home to Marion Township, Marion, Pleasant Township and Claridon Township. Electrical contractors employ 112, up 53.4% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $64,944 a year. Next door, Union County has 7 data centers. 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 23,441 jobs in 2025, down 5.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Marion County
Marion County is home to Marion Township, Marion, Pleasant Township and Claridon Township.
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 Marion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,385 | 65,115 | ▼ 0.4% | 37th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,904 | 23,441 | ▼ 5.9% | 81st of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,671 | $56,200 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73 | 112 | ▲ 53.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 114 MW of capacity, 88% of it solar. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Marion 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 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 65,115 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Marion County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Marion 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% |
| Consolidated Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,897 | 16.11¢ | 24% |
| Union Rural Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,812 | 15.67¢ | 17% |
| Prospect Corporation | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 100 MW | 88% |
| Natural gas | 8 MW | 7% |
| Wind | 4 MW | 4% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County Solar Project | Marion County Solar Project, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2026 |
| POET Biorefining - Marion, LLC | POET Biorefining - Marion, LLC | Natural gas | 8 MW | 2017 |
| Whirlpool Corporation - Marion Wind Farm | Marion Wind 23, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2017 |
| Prospect Municipal | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1998 |
The Marion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,441 | $56,200 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 112 | $64,944 | 0.66 |
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 Marion County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Marion County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Marion County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Marion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 65,115 | ▼ 5.9% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 41,896 | ▼ 1.6% | 172 MW | — | — | — |
| Delaware County | 242,032 | ▲ 11.4% | 1 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Hardin County | 30,072 | ▼ 7.0% | 619 MW | — | — | — |
| Morrow County | 36,305 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County | 73,446 | ▲ 9.8% | 565 MW | 50 MW | 7 | — |
| Wyandot County | 21,567 | ▲ 2.7% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Marion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marion County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Marion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Consolidated Cooperative, Union Rural Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Marion Township, OH in?
Marion Township is in Marion County, Ohio. About 43,499 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Marion, OH in?
Marion is in Marion County, Ohio. About 35,587 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Marion County?
4 operating plants with 114 MW of capacity. The largest is Marion County Solar Project (100 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Marion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marion County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Union County.
Is Marion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,441 jobs in 2025 against 24,904 in 2019 (-5.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Marion County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Marion County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.