Pickaway County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Circleville, Scioto Township and Harrison Township
Pickaway County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Pickaway County is home to Circleville, Scioto Township, Harrison Township and Ashville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Scioto Township (Pickaway County) data center moratorium”. Employers here counted 16,482 jobs in 2025, up 18.5% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 88 Ohio counties). Construction employs 901, down 11.5% since 2019. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Pickaway County
Pickaway County is home to Circleville, Scioto Township, Harrison Township and Ashville.
- New Holland also extends into Fayette County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Derby, Logan Elm Village, Orient.
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 Pickaway County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 58,659 | 62,978 | ▲ 7.4% | 42nd of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,913 | 16,482 | ▲ 18.5% | 3rd of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,858 | $58,280 | ▲ 27.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,018 | 901 | ▼ 11.5% | 47th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 764 MW of capacity, 74% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Duke Energy Ohio Inc is the largest utility serving Pickaway County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.00¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 62,978 people live here, up 7.4% since 2020.
Who powers Pickaway County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pickaway County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Ohio Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 693,435 | 15.00¢ | 26% |
| Dayton Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 478,741 | 15.32¢ | 20% |
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 564 MW | 74% |
| Solar | 200 MW | 26% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darby Power, LLC | Darby Power, LLC | Natural gas | 564 MW | 2001 |
| Buckeye Solar | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 100 MW | 2025 |
| Pickaway Solar | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 100 MW | 2025 |
The Pickaway County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,482 | $58,280 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 901 | $70,558 | 1.03 |
| Power and communication line construction | 99 | $62,772 | 3.72 |
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 Pickaway County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scioto Township (Pickaway County) data center moratorium | In force | 2026-03 |
Pickaway County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pickaway County, Franklin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickaway County | 62,978 | ▲ 18.5% | 764 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Fairfield County | 169,752 | ▲ 9.1% | — | 220 MW | 3 | — |
| Fayette County | 28,552 | ▲ 7.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Franklin County | 1,361,536 | ▲ 3.4% | 15 MW | 400 MW | 56 | 1 |
| Hocking County | 27,512 | ▲ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 46,985 | ▲ 34.9% | 957 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Ross County | 76,429 | ▼ 2.6% | 582 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of Ohio
Pickaway County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pickaway County, Ohio?
3 utilities have service territory in Pickaway County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Ohio Inc, Dayton Power & Light Co, South Central Power Company. The largest, Duke Energy Ohio Inc, charged residential customers 15.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Circleville, OH in?
Circleville is in Pickaway County, Ohio. About 14,634 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Scioto Township, OH in?
Scioto Township is in Pickaway County, Ohio. About 11,677 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Harrison Township, OH in?
Harrison Township is in Pickaway County, Ohio. About 10,681 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pickaway County?
3 operating plants with 764 MW of capacity. The largest is Darby Power, LLC (564 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Pickaway County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pickaway County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Franklin County.
Is Pickaway County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,482 jobs in 2025 against 13,913 in 2019 (+18.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,018 to 901.
Does Pickaway County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Pickaway County, 1 in force.