Walworth County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Whitewater, Elkhorn and Delavan
Walworth County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 305, up 91.8% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $68,707 a year. Walworth County is home to most of Whitewater (11,557 of its 16,038 residents), Elkhorn, Delavan and Lake Geneva. 324 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Invenergy Services LLC (natural gas), the 6th largest pipeline among Wisconsin's counties. Construction employs 2,027, up 26.5% since 2019. Next door, Jefferson County has 249 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Walworth County
Walworth County is home to most of Whitewater (11,557 of its 16,038 residents), Elkhorn, Delavan and Lake Geneva.
- Whitewater also extends into Jefferson County.
- Mukwonago also extends into Waukesha County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allens Grove, Big Foot Prairie, Como, Delavan Lake, Lake Ivanhoe, Lake Lorraine, Lauderdale Lakes, Lyons, Potter Lake, Springfield, Turtle 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 Walworth County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 105,324 | 106,127 | ▲ 0.8% | 15th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 42,342 | 45,772 | ▲ 8.1% | 7th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,277 | $53,639 | ▲ 33.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,603 | 2,027 | ▲ 26.5% | 18th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 159 | 305 | ▲ 91.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 26 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 324 MW | 1271% of today's fleet | 6th of 17 by size |
Employers here counted 45,772 jobs in 2025, up 8.1% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 72 Wisconsin counties). 26 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 26 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Walworth County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 106,127 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Walworth County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +26 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Walworth 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% |
| Rock Energy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,310 | 14.47¢ | 18% |
| City of Elkhorn - (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 | 26 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Prairie Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 8 MW | 2023 |
| La Grange Solar Partners, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 6 MW | 2025 |
| LaFayette Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 6 MW | 2024 |
| Spring Brook Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 6 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundry Ridge Energy Center LLC | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 108 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Invenergy Services LLC |
| Foundry Ridge Energy Center LLC | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 108 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Invenergy Services LLC |
| Foundry Ridge Energy Center LLC | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 108 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Invenergy Services LLC |
The Walworth County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 45,772 | $53,639 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,027 | $75,680 | 0.84 |
| Electrical contractors | 305 | $68,707 | 0.92 |
| Electric utilities | 64 | $141,694 | 0.52 |
| Data processing and hosting | 45 | $115,202 | 0.32 |
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 Walworth County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Walworth County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: McHenry County, Rock County.
Walworth County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Walworth County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walworth County | 106,127 | ▲ 8.1% | 26 MW | 324 MW | — | — |
| Boone County IL | 53,568 | ▼ 37.4% | 18 MW | 18 MW | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 86,505 | ▲ 0.5% | 760 MW | 249 MW | — | — |
| Kenosha County | 168,448 | ▲ 13.2% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| McHenry County IL | 317,751 | ▲ 0.8% | 89 MW | 17 MW | — | 1 |
| Racine County | 198,919 | ▲ 0.6% | 340 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Rock County | 166,472 | ▲ 2.9% | 1,829 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Waukesha County | 417,210 | ▲ 1.1% | 4 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Walworth County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Walworth County, Wisconsin?
4 utilities have service territory in Walworth County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Rock Energy Cooperative, City of Elkhorn - (WI). The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Whitewater, WI in?
Most of Whitewater is in Walworth County: 11,557 of its 16,038 residents, or 72%. The rest of the city lies in Jefferson County.
What county is Elkhorn, WI in?
Elkhorn is in Walworth County, Wisconsin. About 10,045 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Walworth County?
4 operating plants with 26 MW of capacity. The largest is Spring Prairie Solar WI, LLC (8 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Walworth County?
324 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Invenergy Services LLC.
Are there data centers in Walworth County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Walworth County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jefferson County.
Is Walworth County adding jobs?
Employers counted 45,772 jobs in 2025 against 42,342 in 2019 (+8.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,603 to 2,027.
Does Walworth County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Walworth County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.