Summit County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Stow
Summit County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Summit County, 4% of Ohio's total. Summit County is home to Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow and Green. Electrical contractors employ 1,880, up 20.7% since 2019 against up 37.0% statewide, at an average $105,305 a year. Construction employs 12,859, up 8.4% since 2019. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including Akron Recycle Energy Plant (natural gas, 4 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in Summit County
Summit County is home to Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow and Green.
And 7 smaller places.
- Tallmadge also extends into Portage County.
- Mogadore also extends into Portage County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Montrose-Ghent, Pigeon Creek, Portage Lakes, Sawyerwood, Twinsburg Heights.
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 Summit County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 539,833 | 538,376 | ▼ 0.3% | 5th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 267,461 | 259,891 | ▼ 2.8% | 65th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,550 | $65,328 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,860 | 12,859 | ▲ 8.4% | 30th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,557 | 1,880 | ▲ 20.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 363 | 365 | ▲ 0.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 512 | 454 | ▼ 11.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 9 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — |
9 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Its power plants have 20 MW of capacity, 72% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 259,891 jobs in 2025, down 2.8% from 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Summit 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. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. 538,376 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020, 5th of 88 Ohio counties by population.
Who powers Summit County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Summit 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% |
| Ohio Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,780 | 16.18¢ | 18% |
| Cleveland Electric Illum Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 676,098 | 16.76¢ | 24% |
| City of Cuyahoga Falls - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 24,349 | 13.02¢ | 14% |
| City of Wadsworth - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 12,180 | 11.99¢ | 32% |
| City of Hudson - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 14 MW | 72% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 19% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuyahoga Falls 1 | City of Cuyahoga Falls - (OH) | Petroleum | 14 MW | 2018 |
| IGS AKC1 | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2023 |
| Akron WRF | City of Akron - (OH) | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2014 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Recycle Energy Plant | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2022 |
The Summit County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 259,891 | $65,328 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 12,859 | $83,873 | 0.93 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,880 | $105,305 | 1.00 |
| Power and communication line construction | 365 | $81,832 | 0.87 |
| Electric utilities | 435 | $138,636 | 0.62 |
| Data processing and hosting | 454 | $136,413 | 0.56 |
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 Summit County
7 data centers in Summit County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Summit County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Summit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summit County | 538,376 | ▼ 2.8% | 20 MW | — | 7 | — |
| Cuyahoga County | 1,232,925 | ▼ 5.4% | 178 MW | 16 MW | 26 | — |
| Geauga County | 95,676 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Medina County | 185,025 | ▲ 3.1% | 36 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Portage County | 163,404 | ▲ 3.0% | 21 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Stark County | 373,771 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | 150 MW | 4 | — |
| Wayne County | 116,758 | ▼ 2.4% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
More of Ohio
Summit County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Summit County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Summit County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Cleveland Electric Illum Co, City of Cuyahoga Falls - (OH). The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Akron, OH in?
Akron is in Summit County, Ohio. About 189,691 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cuyahoga Falls, OH in?
Cuyahoga Falls is in Summit County, Ohio. About 50,975 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Stow, OH in?
Stow is in Summit County, Ohio. About 33,941 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Summit County?
3 operating plants with 20 MW of capacity. The largest is Cuyahoga Falls 1 (14 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Summit County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Summit County.
Is Summit County adding jobs?
Employers counted 259,891 jobs in 2025 against 267,461 in 2019 (-2.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 11,860 to 12,859.
Does Summit County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Summit County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.