Vernon County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Viroqua, Westby and Clinton
Vernon County is living through the turnover of the U.S. power fleet. Construction employs 473, up 44.2% since 2019. Vernon County is home to Viroqua, Westby, Clinton and Hillsboro. Next door, Juneau County has 230 MW of planned generation. 346 MW has retired here since 2019, including Genoa (coal, 346 MW, 2021). 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Vernon County
Vernon County is home to Viroqua, Westby, Clinton and Hillsboro.
And 6 smaller places.
- Viola also extends into Richland County.
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 Vernon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,695 | 31,443 | ▲ 2.4% | 42nd of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,799 | 8,672 | ▼ 1.4% | 45th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,629 | $48,688 | ▲ 32.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 328 | 473 | ▲ 44.2% | 9th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 2.8% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 346 MW | — |
Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 71% of it solar. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Vernon 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. Employers here counted 8,672 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. 31,443 people live here, up 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Vernon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −344 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Vernon 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% |
| Scenic Rivers Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,597 | 15.23¢ | 1% |
| City of Westby | Municipal | Bundled | 1,054 | 11.51¢ | 66% |
| La Farge Municipal Electric Co | — | — | — | — | — |
| Richland Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vernon Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Viola - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 71% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 29% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluff Prairie (Vernon) | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| La Farge | La Farge Municipal Electric Co - (WI) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1990 |
| Liberty Pole DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
| Sauk DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genoa | Coal | 346 MW | 2021 |
The Vernon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,672 | $48,688 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 473 | $56,785 | 1.03 |
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 Vernon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Vernon County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: La Crosse County, Monroe County, Sauk County.
Vernon County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Vernon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon County | 31,443 | ▼ 1.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Allamakee County IA | 14,238 | ▼ 5.0% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Crawford County | 15,910 | ▼ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Houston County MN | 18,400 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| 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 |
| Richland County | 17,036 | ▲ 0.2% | 56 MW | — | — | — |
| Sauk County | 66,652 | ▼ 1.8% | 33 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
Vernon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Vernon County, Wisconsin?
8 utilities have service territory in Vernon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Northern States Power Co, Scenic Rivers Energy Coop, City of Westby. The largest, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 16.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Vernon County?
4 operating plants with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Bluff Prairie (Vernon) (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Vernon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Vernon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Juneau County.
Is Vernon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,672 jobs in 2025 against 8,799 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 328 to 473.
Does Vernon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Vernon County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.