Wayne County, Ohio: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wooster, Green Township and Chippewa Township
Wayne County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Wayne County is home to Wooster, Green Township, Chippewa Township and Orrville. Construction employs 2,648, up 17.7% since 2019. Next door, Stark County has 4 data centers. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Wooster Renewable Energy (other technologies, 1 MW, 2021). Its power plants have 95 MW of capacity, 63% of it coal.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Wooster, Green Township, Chippewa Township and Orrville.
And 7 smaller places.
- Rittman also extends into Medina County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kidron, New Pittsburg, Sterling.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 116,899 | 116,758 | ▼ 0.1% | 24th of 88 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49,335 | 48,168 | ▼ 2.4% | 60th of 88 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,277 | $59,569 | ▲ 26.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,250 | 2,648 | ▲ 17.7% | 20th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 48,168 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. Ohio Power Co is the largest utility serving Wayne 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. 116,758 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Wayne County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,234 | 17.26¢ | 14% |
| Holmes-Wayne Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,714 | 16.52¢ | 28% |
| City of Orrville - (OH) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,314 | 10.96¢ | 23% |
| Village of Marshallville - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 60 MW | 63% |
| Natural gas | 28 MW | 29% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 6% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orrville | City of Orrville - (OH) | Coal | 84 MW | 1949 |
| Orrville Peaking | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1999 |
| Morton Salt Rittman | Morton Salt Inc | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2015 |
| DG AMP Solar Orrville 3 | DG AMP Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wooster Renewable Energy | Other technologies | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 48,168 | $59,569 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,648 | $68,968 | 1.04 |
| Electric utilities | 37 | $121,908 | 0.28 |
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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Ohio has 105 local measures on record statewide.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Wayne County, Summit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 116,758 | ▼ 2.4% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Ashland County | 52,523 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Holmes County | 44,970 | ▲ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Medina County | 185,025 | ▲ 3.1% | 36 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Stark County | 373,771 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | 150 MW | 4 | — |
| Summit County | 538,376 | ▼ 2.8% | 20 MW | — | 7 | — |
More of Ohio
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Ohio?
6 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ohio Power Co, Ohio Edison Co, Lorain-Medina R E C, Inc, Holmes-Wayne Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Ohio Power Co, charged residential customers 19.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Wooster, OH in?
Wooster is in Wayne County, Ohio. About 27,115 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Green Township, OH in?
Green Township is in Wayne County, Ohio. About 12,277 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wayne County?
4 operating plants with 95 MW of capacity. The largest is Orrville (84 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stark County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 48,168 jobs in 2025 against 49,335 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,250 to 2,648.
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Ohio has 105 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.