Oconto County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Little Suamico, Oconto and Chase
Oconto 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. Construction employs 570, up 45.0% since 2019. Oconto County is home to Little Suamico, Oconto, Chase and Oconto Falls. Next door, Brown County has 3 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 23, up 21.1% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $48,347 a year. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Oconto County
Oconto County is home to Little Suamico, Oconto, Chase and Oconto Falls.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Abrams, Lakewood, Mountain, Sobieski, Townsend.
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 Oconto County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 39,077 | 40,195 | ▲ 2.9% | 38th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,909 | 9,091 | ▲ 2.0% | 20th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,176 | $48,962 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 393 | 570 | ▲ 45.0% | 8th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 23 | ▲ 21.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 9,091 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Oconto County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 40,195 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Oconto County
Utilities with service territory in Oconto 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% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| Oconto Falls Water & Light Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 1,364 | 13.67¢ | 62% |
| Oconto Electric Cooperative | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconto Falls Lower | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1971 |
| Oconto Falls Upper | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1918 |
| Stiles | Oconto Electric Cooperative | Hydro | 1 MW | 1949 |
The Oconto County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,091 | $48,962 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 570 | $57,296 | 1.18 |
| Electrical contractors | 23 | $48,347 | 0.35 |
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 Oconto County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Oconto County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Brown County, Shawano County.
Oconto County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Oconto County, Brown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconto County | 40,195 | ▲ 2.0% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 275,803 | ▲ 1.1% | 352 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Forest County | 9,574 | ▲ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Langlade County | 19,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Marinette County | 42,574 | ▼ 3.8% | 303 MW | — | — | — |
| Menominee County | 4,199 | ▼ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Shawano County | 41,560 | ▼ 3.1% | 8 MW | — | — | 2 |
More of Wisconsin
Oconto County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Oconto County, Wisconsin?
5 utilities have service territory in Oconto County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Oconto Falls Water & Light Comm. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Oconto County?
3 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Oconto Falls Lower (2 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Oconto County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Oconto County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Brown County.
Is Oconto County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,091 jobs in 2025 against 8,909 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 393 to 570.
Does Oconto County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Oconto County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.