Barber County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Medicine Lodge Township and Medicine Lodge
The data center boom is not abstract in Barber County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Barber County, 5% of Kansas's total. Barber County is home to Medicine Lodge Township, Medicine Lodge, Kiowa Township and Kiowa. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 189 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 283 MW of capacity, 67% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Barber County
Barber County is home to Medicine Lodge Township, Medicine Lodge, Kiowa Township and Kiowa.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake City.
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 Barber County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,204 | 4,083 | ▼ 2.9% | 71st of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,596 | 1,538 | ▼ 3.6% | 75th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,172 | $46,609 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 189 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 1,538 jobs in 2025, down 3.6% from 2019. Southern Pioneer Electric Company is the largest utility serving Barber County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.86¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 4,083 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Barber County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +189 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Barber County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
| Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 205 | 10.41¢ | 22% |
| City of Isabel - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Kiowa - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ninnescah Rural E C A 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 189 MW | 67% |
| Wind | 94 MW | 33% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pixley Solar Energy | Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Solar | 189 MW | 2025 |
| Flat Ridge Wind Farm | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Wind | 50 MW | 2009 |
| Flat Ridge Wind Energy LLC | Clearlight Energy Holdings LP | Wind | 44 MW | 2009 |
The Barber County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,538 | $46,609 | 1.00 |
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 Barber County
1 data center in Barber County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Barber County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Barber County, Pratt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barber County | 4,083 | ▼ 3.6% | 283 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Alfalfa County OK | 5,649 | ▼ 22.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Comanche County | 1,673 | ▲ 3.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Harper County | 5,370 | ▼ 0.2% | 298 MW | — | — | — |
| Kingman County | 7,029 | ▲ 16.7% | 618 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kiowa County | 2,432 | ▼ 4.6% | 118 MW | — | — | — |
| Pratt County | 9,117 | ▲ 1.7% | 705 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Woods County OK | 8,443 | ▼ 5.3% | 203 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Barber County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Barber County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Barber County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Pioneer Electric Company, CMS Electric Coop Inc, Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc, City of Isabel - (KS). The largest, Southern Pioneer Electric Company, charged residential customers 15.86¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Barber County?
3 operating plants with 283 MW of capacity. The largest is Pixley Solar Energy (189 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Barber County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Barber County.
Is Barber County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,538 jobs in 2025 against 1,596 in 2019 (-3.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Barber County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Barber County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.