Washington County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to West Bend, Germantown and Hartford
Washington County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Washington County. Washington County is home to West Bend, Germantown, Hartford and Richfield. Electrical contractors employ 408, up 20.0% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $76,880 a year. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including WPPI Hartford DG (petroleum, 1 MW, 2020). 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to West Bend, Germantown, Hartford and Richfield.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allenton.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 136,806 | 139,238 | ▲ 1.8% | 11th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57,059 | 58,003 | ▲ 1.7% | 22nd of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,843 | $60,774 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 340 | 408 | ▲ 20.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32 | 28 | ▼ 12.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Its power plants have 408 MW of capacity, 70% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 58,003 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 3 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 2.8% in 2019. 139,238 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington 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% |
| Hartford Electric | Municipal | Bundled | 6,998 | 11.71¢ | 26% |
| Slinger Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 2,586 | 12.07¢ | 50% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 285 MW | 70% |
| Natural gas | 106 MW | 26% |
| Other technologies | 13 MW | 3% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Petroleum | 391 MW | 1978 |
| Omega Hills Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 13 MW | 1985 |
| Washington County | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Regal Ware | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPPI Hartford DG | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 58,003 | $60,774 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 408 | $76,880 | 0.98 |
| Power and communication line construction | 28 | $78,176 | 0.30 |
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 Washington County
1 data center in Washington County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Washington County, Milwaukee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 139,238 | ▲ 1.7% | 408 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dodge County | 89,097 | ▲ 3.7% | 337 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Fond du Lac County | 104,669 | ▼ 5.8% | 608 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Milwaukee County | 924,216 | ▼ 4.0% | 2,370 MW | 1,186 MW | 11 | — |
| Ozaukee County | 94,346 | ▼ 5.0% | 1,237 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Sheboygan County | 118,047 | ▼ 0.7% | 914 MW | 99 MW | — | — |
| Waukesha County | 417,210 | ▲ 1.1% | 4 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Wisconsin?
3 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Hartford Electric, Slinger Utilities. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is West Bend, WI in?
West Bend is in Washington County, Wisconsin. About 32,268 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Germantown, WI in?
Germantown is in Washington County, Wisconsin. About 21,050 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hartford, WI in?
Hartford is in Washington County, Wisconsin. About 15,998 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Washington County?
4 operating plants with 408 MW of capacity. The largest is Germantown (391 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Washington County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 58,003 jobs in 2025 against 57,059 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Washington County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.