Vinton County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Elk Township, Clinton Township and McArthur
Vinton County hosts some of the generating capacity Ohio runs on. Vinton County is home to Elk Township, Clinton Township, McArthur and Richland Township. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019. Its power plants have 978 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 2,259 jobs in 2025, down 3.6% from 2019. South Central Power Company is the largest utility serving Vinton County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.87¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.40¢ median for Ohio utilities.
Cities and towns in Vinton County
Vinton County is home to Elk Township, Clinton Township, McArthur and Richland Township.
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 Vinton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,803 | 12,645 | ▼ 1.2% | 88th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,343 | 2,259 | ▼ 3.6% | 69th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,516 | $45,555 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 4.0% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
12,645 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Vinton County
Utilities with service territory in Vinton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Power Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 117,469 | 14.87¢ | 14% |
| Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,349 | 19.90¢ | 8% |
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 | 978 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling Hills Generating | Rolling Hills Generating LLC | Natural gas | 978 MW | 2003 |
The Vinton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,259 | $45,555 | 1.00 |
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 Vinton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Vinton County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Vinton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Vinton County, Gallia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton County | 12,645 | ▼ 3.6% | 978 MW | — | — | — |
| Athens County | 63,197 | ▲ 2.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Gallia County | 29,072 | ▲ 2.5% | 3,686 MW | — | — | — |
| Hocking County | 27,512 | ▲ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 32,817 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Meigs County | 21,587 | ▼ 6.2% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Ross County | 76,429 | ▼ 2.6% | 582 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of Ohio
Vinton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Vinton County, Ohio?
2 utilities have service territory in Vinton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: South Central Power Company, Buckeye Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, South Central Power Company, charged residential customers 14.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Vinton County?
1 operating plant with 978 MW of capacity. The largest is Rolling Hills Generating (978 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Vinton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Vinton County.
Is Vinton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,259 jobs in 2025 against 2,343 in 2019 (-3.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Vinton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Vinton County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.