Monroe County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Center Township and Woodsfield, and the communities of Hannibal
Monroe County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Monroe County. Construction employs 142, down 45.8% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 7.7% in 2019. Monroe County is home to Center Township, Woodsfield, Sunsbury Township and Malaga Township, plus the unincorporated community of Hannibal. 522 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas.
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Center Township, Woodsfield, Sunsbury Township and Malaga Township, plus the unincorporated community of Hannibal.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hannibal, Sardis.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,350 | 12,994 | ▼ 2.7% | 87th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,909 | 2,736 | ▼ 5.9% | 82nd of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,447 | $48,936 | ▲ 24.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 262 | 142 | ▼ 45.8% | 51st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.7% | 4.6% | ▼ 3.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 522 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,736 jobs in 2025, down 5.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 530 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 12,994 people live here, down 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Monroe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +522 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
| Washington Electric Coop - (OH) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Woodsfield - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 522 MW | 99% |
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Ridge Energy Generation | Long Ridge Energy Generation LLC | Natural gas | 522 MW | 2021 |
| Anadarko | City of Woodsfield - (OH) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1949 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,736 | $48,936 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 142 | $61,889 | 0.98 |
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 Monroe County
1 data center in Monroe County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Monroe County, Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 12,994 | ▼ 5.9% | 530 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Belmont County | 64,434 | ▼ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Marshall County WV | 29,159 | ▼ 14.0% | 1,748 MW | — | — | — |
| Noble County | 14,276 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Tyler County WV | 7,881 | ▼ 6.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 58,389 | ▲ 0.1% | 1,636 MW | — | — | — |
| Wetzel County WV | 13,734 | ▲ 0.4% | 37 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Ohio?
4 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, South Central Power Company, Washington Electric Coop - (OH), City of Woodsfield - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Monroe County?
2 operating plants with 530 MW of capacity. The largest is Long Ridge Energy Generation (522 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Monroe County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,736 jobs in 2025 against 2,909 in 2019 (-5.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 262 to 142.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.