Jackson County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Black River Falls, Brockway and Adams
Jackson 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. Jackson County is home to Black River Falls, Brockway, Adams and Albion. Construction employs 516, down 21.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 7,570 jobs in 2025, down 13.5% from 2019. Next door, Juneau County has 230 MW of planned generation. 7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to Black River Falls, Brockway, Adams and Albion.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hatfield, Millston, Mission, Sand Pillow.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,096 | 20,999 | ▼ 0.5% | 51st of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,753 | 7,570 | ▼ 13.5% | 72nd of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,812 | $53,167 | ▲ 24.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 657 | 516 | ▼ 21.5% | 60th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Jackson County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 20,999 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Jackson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jackson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 437,211 | 16.89¢ | 22% |
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| Riverland Energy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,970 | 16.30¢ | 13% |
| Oakdale Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,027 | 15.87¢ | 14% |
| City of Black River Falls | Municipal | Bundled | 2,321 | 14.33¢ | 64% |
| Clark Electric Coop - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eau Claire Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 7 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamrock Solar LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Blue Prairie Solar, LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
| Strobus | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,570 | $53,167 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 516 | $103,490 | 1.29 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Eau Claire County, La Crosse County, Monroe County.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Jackson County, Juneau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 20,999 | ▼ 13.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 35,052 | ▲ 2.9% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Eau Claire County | 109,033 | ▲ 0.1% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Juneau County | 26,649 | ▼ 2.3% | 45 MW | 230 MW | — | — |
| La Crosse County | 121,339 | ▲ 0.9% | 192 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Monroe County | 46,572 | ▼ 0.1% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Trempealeau County | 31,171 | ▼ 10.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Wood County | 74,060 | ▼ 8.6% | 407 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Wisconsin?
9 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Northern States Power Co, Riverland Energy Cooperative, Oakdale Electric Coop. The largest, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 16.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jackson County?
3 operating plants with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Shamrock Solar LLC (3 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Juneau County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,570 jobs in 2025 against 8,753 in 2019 (-13.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 657 to 516.
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.