Meigs County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Salisbury Township, Sutton Township and Chester Township
Meigs County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Meigs County is home to Salisbury Township, Sutton Township, Chester Township and Middleport. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 6.9% in 2019. Construction employs 252, up 2.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 48 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 3,493 jobs in 2025, down 6.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Meigs County
Meigs County is home to Salisbury Township, Sutton Township, Chester Township and Middleport.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Tuppers Plains.
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 Meigs County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,168 | 21,587 | ▼ 2.6% | 81st of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,722 | 3,493 | ▼ 6.2% | 83rd of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,340 | $43,674 | ▲ 35.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 245 | 252 | ▲ 2.9% | 40th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.9% | 4.8% | ▼ 2.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 48 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 95 MW of capacity, 50% of it solar. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Meigs County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 21,587 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Meigs County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +48 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Meigs 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% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 48 MW | 50% |
| Hydro | 47 MW | 50% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend Solar Project | Great Bend Solar LLC | Solar | 48 MW | 2025 |
| Racine | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 47 MW | 1982 |
The Meigs County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,493 | $43,674 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 252 | $57,978 | 1.36 |
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 Meigs County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Meigs County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Meigs County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Meigs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meigs County | 21,587 | ▼ 6.2% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Athens County | 63,197 | ▲ 2.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Gallia County | 29,072 | ▲ 2.5% | 3,686 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County WV | 27,450 | ▼ 13.1% | 192 MW | — | — | — |
| Mason County WV | 24,707 | ▲ 27.7% | 1,300 MW | 29 MW | — | — |
| Vinton County | 12,645 | ▼ 3.6% | 978 MW | — | — | — |
| Wood County WV | 82,385 | ▼ 0.8% | 42 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Meigs County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Meigs County, Ohio?
2 utilities have service territory in Meigs County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Meigs County?
2 operating plants with 95 MW of capacity. The largest is Great Bend Solar Project (48 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Meigs County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Meigs County.
Is Meigs County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,493 jobs in 2025 against 3,722 in 2019 (-6.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 245 to 252.
Does Meigs County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Meigs County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.