Bourbon County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Scott, Scott Township and Marion Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Bourbon County. Bourbon County is home to Fort Scott, Scott Township, Marion Township and Marmaton Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Bourbon County Commission data center moratorium”. Unemployment was 6.3% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 22, up 15.8% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $53,927 a year. Employers here counted 5,520 jobs in 2025, down 8.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bourbon County
Bourbon County is home to Fort Scott, Scott Township, Marion Township and Marmaton Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Devon, Garland.
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 Bourbon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,339 | 14,319 | ▼ 0.1% | 34th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,008 | 5,520 | ▼ 8.1% | 93rd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,227 | $45,024 | ▲ 27.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 229 | 229 | ● 0.0% | 39th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 22 | ▲ 15.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 6.3% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
Construction employs 229, unchanged since 2019. Evergy Kansas South, Inc is the largest utility serving Bourbon County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024. 14,319 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Bourbon County
Utilities with service territory in Bourbon 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 Bronson | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Bourbon County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Bourbon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,520 | $45,024 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 229 | $59,625 | 0.78 |
| Electrical contractors | 22 | $53,927 | 0.55 |
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 Bourbon County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County Commission data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Bourbon County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bourbon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County | 14,319 | ▼ 8.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Allen County | 12,302 | ▼ 2.8% | 229 MW | 8 MW | — | — |
| Anderson County | 8,018 | ▲ 15.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 39,008 | ▼ 0.2% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Linn County | 9,950 | ▲ 7.6% | 1,599 MW | — | — | — |
| Neosho County | 15,637 | ▲ 2.0% | 431 MW | 7 MW | — | — |
| Vernon County MO | 19,946 | ▲ 3.3% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Bourbon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bourbon County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Bourbon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas South, Inc, Evergy Metro, City of Bronson, Heartland Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Bourbon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bourbon County.
Is Bourbon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,520 jobs in 2025 against 6,008 in 2019 (-8.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 229 to 229.
Does Bourbon County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Bourbon County, 1 in force.