Atchison County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Atchison and Shannon Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Atchison County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Atchison County is home to Atchison, Shannon Township, Benton Township and Mount Pleasant Township. Next door, Platte County, Missouri, has 7 data centers. Construction employs 270, down 4.9% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 18, up 5.9% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $54,919 a year. Employers here counted 5,677 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Atchison County
Atchison County is home to Atchison, Shannon Township, Benton Township and Mount Pleasant Township.
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 Atchison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,325 | 16,172 | ▼ 0.9% | 31st of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,576 | 5,677 | ▲ 1.8% | 43rd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,853 | $52,486 | ▲ 22.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 284 | 270 | ▼ 4.9% | 42nd of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17 | 18 | ▲ 5.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.5% | ● 0.0pts | — |
Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Atchison County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. 16,172 people live here, down 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Atchison County
Utilities with service territory in Atchison County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 341,806 | 14.29¢ | 44% |
| FreeState Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,514 | 16.41¢ | 13% |
| Brown-Atchison E C A Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Doniphan Elec Coop Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Horton - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Muscotah | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Atchison County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Atchison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,677 | $52,486 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 270 | $58,623 | 0.90 |
| Electrical contractors | 18 | $54,919 | 0.44 |
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 Atchison County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Atchison County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Leavenworth County.
Atchison County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Atchison County, Platte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison County | 16,172 | ▲ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 9,104 | ▼ 16.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Buchanan County MO | 83,540 | ▼ 1.4% | 280 MW | — | — | — |
| Doniphan County | 7,594 | ▲ 23.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 13,438 | ▲ 6.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 18,296 | ▲ 3.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Leavenworth County | 84,590 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Platte County MO | 114,400 | ▲ 0.3% | 1,754 MW | — | 7 | — |
More of Kansas
Atchison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Atchison County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Atchison County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, FreeState Electric Coop, Brown-Atchison E C A Inc, Doniphan Elec Coop Assn, Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Atchison, KS in?
Atchison is in Atchison County, Kansas. About 10,789 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Atchison County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Atchison County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Platte County.
Is Atchison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,677 jobs in 2025 against 5,576 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 284 to 270.
Does Atchison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Atchison County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.