Brown County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hiawatha and Horton
Brown 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. Electrical contractors employ 9, up 125.0% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $47,613 a year. Brown County is home to Hiawatha, Horton, Powhattan Township and Hiawatha Township. Employers here counted 4,325 jobs in 2025, down 16.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Brown County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities.
Cities and towns in Brown County
Brown County is home to Hiawatha, Horton, Powhattan Township and Hiawatha Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kickapoo Site 1, Kickapoo Site 2, Kickapoo Site 5, Kickapoo Site 6, Kickapoo Site 7, Kickapoo Tribal Center.
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 Brown County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,480 | 9,104 | ▼ 4.0% | 43rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,202 | 4,325 | ▼ 16.9% | 100th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,837 | $52,510 | ▲ 28.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62 | 99 | ▲ 59.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4 | 9 | ▲ 125.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
9,104 people live here, down 4.0% since 2020.
Who powers Brown County
Utilities with service territory in Brown 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% |
| Brown-Atchison E C A Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Doniphan Elec Coop Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Horton - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Morrill - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Robinson - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Sabetha - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Brown County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Brown County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,325 | $52,510 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 99 | $39,994 | 0.43 |
| Electrical contractors | 9 | $47,613 | 0.29 |
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 Brown County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brown County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Brown County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Brown County, Nemaha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 9,104 | ▼ 16.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Atchison County | 16,172 | ▲ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Doniphan County | 7,594 | ▲ 23.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 13,438 | ▲ 6.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Nemaha County | 10,054 | ▲ 15.3% | 322 MW | — | — | — |
| Richardson County NE | 7,530 | ▼ 5.9% | 91 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Brown County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brown County, Kansas?
7 utilities have service territory in Brown County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Brown-Atchison E C A Inc, Doniphan Elec Coop Assn, Inc, City of Horton - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Brown County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brown County.
Is Brown County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,325 jobs in 2025 against 5,202 in 2019 (-16.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 62 to 99.
Does Brown County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brown County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.