Mercer County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jefferson Township, Celina and Butler Township
Mercer 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. Mercer County is home to Jefferson Township, Celina, Butler Township and Coldwater. Next door, Shelby County has 1 data center. Construction employs 1,149, up 4.5% since 2019. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Mercer County
Mercer County is home to Jefferson Township, Celina, Butler Township and Coldwater.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Maria Stein.
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 Mercer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,534 | 42,737 | ▲ 0.5% | 57th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,282 | 20,220 | ▼ 0.3% | 52nd of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,052 | $53,239 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,100 | 1,149 | ▲ 4.5% | 38th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.3% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Dayton Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Mercer County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.32¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 20,220 jobs in 2025, down 0.3% from 2019. 42,737 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Mercer County
Utilities with service territory in Mercer County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 478,741 | 15.32¢ | 20% |
| Pioneer Rural Elec Coop, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,310 | 16.18¢ | 6% |
| Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH) | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,836 | 15.27¢ | 34% |
| City of Celina - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,557 | 9.12¢ | 28% |
| Darke Rural Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Mendon - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celina Solar Project #1, LLC | Agilitas Energy, Inc. | Solar | 4 MW | 2012 |
The Mercer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,220 | $53,239 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,149 | $64,309 | 1.07 |
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 Mercer County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mercer County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Mercer County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Mercer County, Van Wert 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | 42,737 | ▼ 0.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County IN | 36,650 | ▼ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Auglaize County | 45,909 | ▲ 0.6% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Darke County | 51,520 | ▲ 0.3% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Jay County IN | 20,118 | ▼ 2.2% | 273 MW | 139 MW | — | — |
| Shelby County | 48,065 | ▼ 4.4% | 17 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Van Wert County | 29,013 | ▼ 6.3% | 903 MW | 46 MW | — | — |
More of Ohio
Mercer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mercer County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Mercer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dayton Power & Light Co, Pioneer Rural Elec Coop, Inc - (OH), Midwest Electric, Inc - (OH), City of Celina - (OH). The largest, Dayton Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 15.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Jefferson Township, OH in?
Jefferson Township is in Mercer County, Ohio. About 13,804 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Celina, OH in?
Celina is in Mercer County, Ohio. About 10,936 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Mercer County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Celina Solar Project #1, LLC (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Mercer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mercer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shelby County.
Is Mercer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,220 jobs in 2025 against 20,282 in 2019 (-0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,100 to 1,149.
Does Mercer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mercer County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.