Kenosha County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie and Salem Lakes
Kenosha County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Kenosha County is home to Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Salem Lakes and Somers. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Microsoft Kenosha Data Center (proposed). Construction employs 2,267, up 26.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 75,996 jobs in 2025, up 13.2% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 72 Wisconsin counties). 22 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Kenosha County
Kenosha County is home to Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Salem Lakes and Somers.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lily Lake, New Munster, Powers Lake.
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 Kenosha County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 169,186 | 168,448 | ▼ 0.4% | 8th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 67,113 | 75,996 | ▲ 13.2% | 2nd of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,017 | $60,004 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,787 | 2,267 | ▲ 26.9% | 17th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 178 | 133 | ▼ 25.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 104 | 39 | ▼ 62.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 22 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 412 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Kenosha County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 168,448 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020, 8th of 72 Wisconsin counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 133, down 25.3% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $73,667 a year.
Who powers Kenosha County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +22 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kenosha County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,048,148 | 19.23¢ | 38% |
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 437,211 | 16.89¢ | 22% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 382 MW | 93% |
| Solar | 22 MW | 5% |
| Other technologies | 9 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris (WI) | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Natural gas | 382 MW | 1995 |
| Pheasant Run Landfill Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 9 MW | 1992 |
| Silver Lake Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 8 MW | 2023 |
| Bristol Woods Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 6 MW | 2025 |
| Strawberry Creek Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 6 MW | 2026 |
| UW Parkside | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Kenosha County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 75,996 | $60,004 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,267 | $72,000 | 0.56 |
| Electrical contractors | 133 | $73,667 | 0.24 |
| Data processing and hosting | 39 | $94,602 | 0.17 |
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 Kenosha County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Kenosha Data Center (proposed) | under council consideration | — |
Kenosha County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Kenosha County, Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha County | 168,448 | ▲ 13.2% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County IL | 719,339 | ▼ 4.3% | 733 MW | 5 MW | 4 | 1 |
| McHenry County IL | 317,751 | ▲ 0.8% | 89 MW | 17 MW | — | 1 |
| Racine County | 198,919 | ▲ 0.6% | 340 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Walworth County | 106,127 | ▲ 8.1% | 26 MW | 324 MW | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Kenosha County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kenosha County, Wisconsin?
2 utilities have service territory in Kenosha County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Kenosha, WI in?
Kenosha is in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. About 99,239 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Pleasant Prairie, WI in?
Pleasant Prairie is in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. About 21,798 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Salem Lakes, WI in?
Salem Lakes is in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. About 14,271 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kenosha County?
6 operating plants with 412 MW of capacity. The largest is Paris (WI) (382 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Kenosha County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kenosha County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Walworth County.
Is Kenosha County adding jobs?
Employers counted 75,996 jobs in 2025 against 67,113 in 2019 (+13.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,787 to 2,267.
Does Kenosha County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kenosha County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.