Marathon County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wausau, Weston and Kronenwetter
Marathon County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Marathon County is home to Wausau, Weston, Kronenwetter and Rib Mountain. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers”. Construction employs 3,078, up 21.4% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 603, up 21.1% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $92,563 a year. 165 MW has retired here since 2019, including Weston (natural gas, 158 MW, 2023).
Cities and towns in Marathon County
Marathon County is home to Wausau, Weston, Kronenwetter and Rib Mountain.
And 16 smaller places.
- Marshfield also extends into Wood County.
- Colby also extends into Clark County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Knowlton, Rib Mountain.
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 Marathon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 138,119 | 139,432 | ▲ 1.0% | 10th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 71,716 | 69,778 | ▼ 2.7% | 49th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,447 | $60,545 | ▲ 27.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,536 | 3,078 | ▲ 21.4% | 26th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 498 | 603 | ▲ 21.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 21 | ▲ 10.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 132 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 165 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1,164 MW of capacity, 81% of it coal, the 7th largest fleet in Wisconsin. 132 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 69,778 jobs in 2025, down 2.7% from 2019. Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Marathon County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 139,432 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020, 10th of 72 Wisconsin counties by population.
Who powers Marathon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −34 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Marathon 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% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| City of Marshfield - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,928 | 10.07¢ | 24% |
| Central Wisconsin Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clark Electric Coop - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Stratford - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor Electric Coop - (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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 946 MW | 81% |
| Natural gas | 132 MW | 11% |
| Other technologies | 78 MW | 7% |
| Hydro | 10 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weston | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Coal | 946 MW | 1981 |
| Weston RICE | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Natural gas | 132 MW | 2023 |
| Rothschild Biomass Cogen Facility | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Other technologies | 58 MW | 2013 |
| Mosinee Mill | Ahlstrom-Munksjo NA Specialty Solutions, LLC | Hydro | 23 MW | 1916 |
| Wausau | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Hydro | 5 MW | 1921 |
| Domtar Paper Company Rothschild | Domtar Paper Company Rothschild | Hydro | 1 MW | 1910 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weston | Natural gas | 158 MW | 2023 |
| Domtar Paper Company Rothschild | Hydro | 3 MW | 2022 |
| Fiber Recovery, Inc. | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2024 |
| Marathon Electric | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Marathon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 69,778 | $60,545 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,078 | $79,553 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 603 | $92,563 | 1.20 |
| Power and communication line construction | 17 | $86,122 | 0.15 |
| Data processing and hosting | 21 | $99,551 | 0.10 |
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 Marathon County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers | In force | — |
Marathon County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Marathon County, Portage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon County | 139,432 | ▼ 2.7% | 1,164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clark County | 35,052 | ▲ 2.9% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Langlade County | 19,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 28,403 | ▼ 8.7% | 45 MW | — | — | — |
| Portage County | 71,943 | ▼ 1.2% | 25 MW | 1,432 MW | — | — |
| Shawano County | 41,560 | ▼ 3.1% | 8 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Taylor County | 20,118 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Waupaca County | 51,461 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Wood County | 74,060 | ▼ 8.6% | 407 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Marathon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marathon County, Wisconsin?
8 utilities have service territory in Marathon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Northern States Power Co, City of Marshfield - (WI). The largest, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 16.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Wausau, WI in?
Wausau is in Marathon County, Wisconsin. About 40,188 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Weston, WI in?
Weston is in Marathon County, Wisconsin. About 15,931 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Marathon County?
6 operating plants with 1,164 MW of capacity. The largest is Weston (946 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Marathon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marathon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Portage County.
Is Marathon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 69,778 jobs in 2025 against 71,716 in 2019 (-2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,536 to 3,078.
Does Marathon County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Marathon County, 1 in force.