Taylor County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Medford and Little Black
Taylor 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. Taylor County is home to Medford, Little Black, Holway and Rib Lake. Construction employs 249, up 11.7% since 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 7,776 jobs in 2025, down 4.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Taylor County
Taylor County is home to Medford, Little Black, Holway and Rib Lake.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chelsea, Jump River, Westboro, Whittlesey.
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 Taylor County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,942 | 20,118 | ▲ 0.9% | 53rd of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,144 | 7,776 | ▼ 4.5% | 58th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,724 | $51,947 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 223 | 249 | ▲ 11.7% | 39th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Taylor County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. 20,118 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Taylor County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Taylor County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| Chippewa Valley Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clark Electric Coop - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jump River Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Medford - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Price Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hannibal | OneEnergy, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Medford DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
The Taylor County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,776 | $51,947 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 249 | $76,825 | 0.60 |
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 Taylor County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Taylor County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Chippewa County, Marathon County.
Taylor County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Taylor County, Marathon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | 20,118 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 67,614 | ▲ 10.6% | 572 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Clark County | 35,052 | ▲ 2.9% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 28,403 | ▼ 8.7% | 45 MW | — | — | — |
| Marathon County | 139,432 | ▼ 2.7% | 1,164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Price County | 13,988 | ▼ 11.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Rusk County | 14,146 | ▼ 11.4% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Taylor County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Taylor County, Wisconsin?
7 utilities have service territory in Taylor County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Chippewa Valley Electric Coop, Clark Electric Coop - (WI), Jump River Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Taylor County?
2 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Hannibal (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Taylor County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Taylor County.
Is Taylor County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,776 jobs in 2025 against 8,144 in 2019 (-4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 223 to 249.
Does Taylor County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Taylor County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.