Portage County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kent, Aurora and Streetsboro
Portage County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Portage County. Portage County is home to Kent, Aurora, Streetsboro and Brimfield Township. Electrical contractors employ 168, up 24.4% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $62,845 a year. 7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Portage County
Portage County is home to Kent, Aurora, Streetsboro and Brimfield Township.
And 5 smaller places.
- Mogadore also extends into Summit County.
- Tallmadge also extends into Summit County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Atwater, Brady Lake, Brimfield, Suffield.
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 Portage County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 161,853 | 163,404 | ▲ 1.0% | 20th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 55,116 | 56,790 | ▲ 3.0% | 31st of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,893 | $60,907 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 135 | 168 | ▲ 24.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 21 MW of capacity, 64% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 56,790 jobs in 2025, up 3.0% from 2019. Ohio Edison Co is the largest utility serving Portage County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.18¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities. 163,404 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Portage County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Portage County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| Cleveland Electric Illum Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 676,098 | 16.76¢ | 24% |
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 | 13 MW | 64% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 27% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Street Power Plant | Kent State University | Natural gas | 13 MW | 2003 |
| KSU Solar Array | Onsite Partners Projectco, LLC | Battery storage | 7 MW | 2025 |
The Portage County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 56,790 | $60,907 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 168 | $62,845 | 0.41 |
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 Portage County
1 data center in Portage County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Portage County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Portage County, Cuyahoga 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County | 163,404 | ▲ 3.0% | 21 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Cuyahoga County | 1,232,925 | ▼ 5.4% | 178 MW | 16 MW | 26 | — |
| Geauga County | 95,676 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Mahoning County | 224,706 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Stark County | 373,771 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | 150 MW | 4 | — |
| Summit County | 538,376 | ▼ 2.8% | 20 MW | — | 7 | — |
| Trumbull County | 198,972 | ▲ 1.9% | 1,991 MW | — | — | 4 |
More of Ohio
Portage County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Portage County, Ohio?
2 utilities have service territory in Portage County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Edison Co, Cleveland Electric Illum Co. The largest, Ohio Edison Co, charged residential customers 16.18¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Kent, OH in?
Kent is in Portage County, Ohio. About 27,737 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Aurora, OH in?
Aurora is in Portage County, Ohio. About 18,014 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Streetsboro, OH in?
Streetsboro is in Portage County, Ohio. About 17,730 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Portage County?
2 operating plants with 21 MW of capacity. The largest is Summit Street Power Plant (13 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Portage County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Portage County.
Is Portage County adding jobs?
Employers counted 56,790 jobs in 2025 against 55,116 in 2019 (+3.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Portage County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Portage County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.