Muskingum County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Zanesville, Falls Township and Springfield Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Muskingum County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Muskingum County is home to Zanesville, Falls Township, Springfield Township and Newton Township. Construction employs 1,422, up 24.8% since 2019. Next door, Licking County has 32 data centers and 350 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 35,758 jobs in 2025, up 7.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Muskingum County
Muskingum County is home to Zanesville, Falls Township, Springfield Township and Newton Township.
And 12 smaller places.
- Roseville also extends into Perry County.
- Gratiot also extends into Licking County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Duncan Falls, East Fultonham, Nashport, North Zanesville, Pleasant Grove, Trinway.
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 Muskingum County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 86,449 | 87,014 | ▲ 0.7% | 31st of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33,232 | 35,758 | ▲ 7.6% | 14th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,678 | $54,373 | ▲ 30.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,139 | 1,422 | ▲ 24.8% | 12th of 51 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 175 | 172 | ▼ 1.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 3.5% | ▼ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 678 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Muskingum 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. 87,014 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Muskingum County
Utilities with service territory in Muskingum 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% |
| Duke Energy Ohio Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 693,435 | 15.00¢ | 26% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
| Licking Rural Electric Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,820 | 16.88¢ | 7% |
| Guernsey-Muskingum El Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,289 | 18.00¢ | 19% |
| Frontier Power Company | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 678 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dresden Energy Facility | Appalachian Power Co | Natural gas | 678 MW | 2012 |
The Muskingum County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 35,758 | $54,373 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,422 | $65,611 | 0.75 |
| Electric utilities | 172 | $128,887 | 1.78 |
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 Muskingum County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Muskingum County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Muskingum County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Muskingum County, Licking 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskingum County | 87,014 | ▲ 7.6% | 678 MW | — | — | — |
| Coshocton County | 37,188 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Guernsey County | 38,379 | ▼ 2.6% | 2,055 MW | — | — | — |
| Licking County | 185,564 | ▲ 18.7% | 3 MW | 350 MW | 32 | — |
| Morgan County | 13,626 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Noble County | 14,276 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 35,918 | ▼ 5.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Muskingum County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Muskingum County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Muskingum County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, South Central Power Company, Licking Rural Electric Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Zanesville, OH in?
Zanesville is in Muskingum County, Ohio. About 25,138 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Muskingum County?
1 operating plant with 678 MW of capacity. The largest is Dresden Energy Facility (678 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Muskingum County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Muskingum County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Licking County.
Is Muskingum County adding jobs?
Employers counted 35,758 jobs in 2025 against 33,232 in 2019 (+7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,139 to 1,422.
Does Muskingum County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Muskingum County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.