Anderson County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Garnett
Anderson 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. Anderson County is home to Garnett, Walker Township, Ozark Township and Jackson Township. Employers here counted 2,447 jobs in 2025, up 15.0% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 105 Kansas counties). Construction employs 122, down 4.7% since 2019. Its power plants have 14 MW of capacity, 85% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Anderson County
Anderson County is home to Garnett, Walker Township, Ozark Township and Jackson Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Harris, Mont Ida, Welda.
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 Anderson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,841 | 8,018 | ▲ 2.3% | 47th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,127 | 2,447 | ▲ 15.0% | 6th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,063 | $47,917 | ▲ 40.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 128 | 122 | ▼ 4.7% | 41st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.6% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Evergy Kansas South, Inc is the largest utility serving Anderson County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024. 8,018 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Anderson County
Utilities with service territory in Anderson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas South, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 302,508 | 14.25¢ | 32% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 244,555 | 13.13¢ | 51% |
| City of Garnett - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Heartland Rural Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 85% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 15% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garnett Municipal | City of Garnett - (KS) | Petroleum | 12 MW | 1930 |
| East Kansas Agri-Energy, LLC | East Kansas Agri-Energy, LLC | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2005 |
The Anderson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,447 | $47,917 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 122 | $48,407 | 0.94 |
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 Anderson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Anderson County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Bourbon County, Franklin County, Miami County.
Anderson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Anderson County, Linn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 8,018 | ▲ 15.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Allen County | 12,302 | ▼ 2.8% | 229 MW | 8 MW | — | — |
| Bourbon County | 14,319 | ▼ 8.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Coffey County | 8,467 | ▼ 5.2% | 1,527 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 26,299 | ▲ 8.7% | 19 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Linn County | 9,950 | ▲ 7.6% | 1,599 MW | — | — | — |
| Miami County | 36,240 | ▲ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Woodson County | 3,118 | ▼ 9.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Anderson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Anderson County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Anderson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas South, Inc, Evergy Metro, City of Garnett - (KS), Heartland Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Anderson County?
2 operating plants with 14 MW of capacity. The largest is Garnett Municipal (12 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Anderson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Anderson County.
Is Anderson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,447 jobs in 2025 against 2,127 in 2019 (+15.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 128 to 122.
Does Anderson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Anderson County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.