Door County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sturgeon Bay, Sevastopol and Liberty Grove
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Door County. Door County is home to Sturgeon Bay, Sevastopol, Liberty Grove and Nasewaupee. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through May 26, 2027”. Construction employs 721, up 12.7% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 45, up 18.4% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $49,138 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Door County
Door County is home to Sturgeon Bay, Sevastopol, Liberty Grove and Nasewaupee.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baileys Harbor, Ellison Bay, Little Sturgeon.
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 Door County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,128 | 30,616 | ▲ 1.6% | 44th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,727 | 14,333 | ▲ 4.4% | 12th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,676 | $48,057 | ▲ 34.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 640 | 721 | ▲ 12.7% | 38th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38 | 45 | ▲ 18.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 2.7% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 14,333 jobs in 2025, up 4.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Wisconsin Public Service Corp is the largest utility serving Door County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. 30,616 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Door County
Utilities with service territory in Door County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| City of Sturgeon Bay - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,786 | 12.47¢ | 54% |
| Washington Island El Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Island | Washington Island El Coop, Inc | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1945 |
The Door County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,333 | $48,057 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 721 | $75,317 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 45 | $49,138 | 0.44 |
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 Door County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through May 26, 2027 | In force | 2026-01 |
Door County and its neighbors
Of the 1 counties that border Door County, Kewaunee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door County | 30,616 | ▲ 4.4% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kewaunee County | 20,758 | ▲ 1.9% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Door County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Door County, Wisconsin?
3 utilities have service territory in Door County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Public Service Corp, City of Sturgeon Bay - (WI), Washington Island El Coop, Inc. The largest, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, charged residential customers 16.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Door County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Washington Island (5 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Door County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Door County.
Is Door County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,333 jobs in 2025 against 13,727 in 2019 (+4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 640 to 721.
Does Door County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Door County, 1 in force.