Barton County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Great Bend, Hoisington and Ellinwood
Barton 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. Barton County is home to Great Bend, Hoisington, Ellinwood and Great Bend Township. Construction employs 688, down 31.6% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 7 MW has retired here since 2019, including Hoisington (natural gas, 7 MW, 2021). Employers here counted 11,375 jobs in 2025, down 6.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Barton County
Barton County is home to Great Bend, Hoisington, Ellinwood and Great Bend Township.
And 2 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beaver, Odin.
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 Barton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,437 | 24,790 | ▼ 2.5% | 24th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,130 | 11,375 | ▼ 6.2% | 88th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,992 | $49,915 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,006 | 688 | ▼ 31.6% | 50th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — |
4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Its power plants have 101 MW of capacity, 95% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 81, at an average $58,625 a year. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Barton County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 24,790 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Barton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Barton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,118 | 13.97¢ | 63% |
| Western Coop Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,799 | 14.17¢ | 79% |
| City of Ellinwood - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Hoisington - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ark Valley Elec Coop Assn, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 96 MW | 95% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend - Sunflower | Sunflower Electric Power Corp | Natural gas | 82 MW | 1963 |
| Hoisington | City of Hoisington - (KS) | Petroleum | 11 MW | 1961 |
| Ellinwood | City of Ellinwood - (KS) | Natural gas | 8 MW | 1948 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoisington | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2021 |
The Barton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,375 | $49,915 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 688 | $65,856 | 1.14 |
| Electrical contractors | 81 | $58,625 | 0.99 |
| Electric utilities | 107 | $114,850 | 3.48 |
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 Barton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Barton County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Barton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Barton County, Ellsworth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton County | 24,790 | ▼ 6.2% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Ellsworth County | 6,257 | ▼ 2.0% | 201 MW | — | — | — |
| Pawnee County | 5,991 | ▼ 5.2% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Rice County | 9,266 | ▼ 1.9% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Rush County | 2,845 | ▼ 3.9% | 58 MW | — | — | — |
| Russell County | 6,581 | ▲ 3.3% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| Stafford County | 4,005 | ▼ 2.3% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Barton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Barton County, Kansas?
7 utilities have service territory in Barton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc, Western Coop Electric Assn Inc, City of Ellinwood - (KS). The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Great Bend, KS in?
Great Bend is in Barton County, Kansas. About 14,266 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Barton County?
3 operating plants with 101 MW of capacity. The largest is Great Bend - Sunflower (82 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Barton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Barton County.
Is Barton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,375 jobs in 2025 against 12,130 in 2019 (-6.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,006 to 688.
Does Barton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Barton County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.