Chautauqua County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
No data center or power plant project is on record in Chautauqua County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Chautauqua County is home to Sedan and Belleville Township. Unemployment was 5.9% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Evergy Kansas South, Inc is the largest utility serving Chautauqua County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County is home to Sedan and Belleville 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 Chautauqua County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,385 | 3,321 | ▼ 1.9% | 77th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 757 | 748 | ▼ 1.2% | 59th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $29,402 | $37,300 | ▲ 26.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 5.9% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 748 jobs in 2025, down 1.2% from 2019. 3,321 people live here, down 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Chautauqua County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chautauqua 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% |
| Caney Valley El 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caney Valley | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Chautauqua County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 748 | $37,300 | 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 Chautauqua County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chautauqua County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Chautauqua County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Chautauqua County, Elk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua County | 3,321 | ▼ 1.2% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Cowley County | 34,382 | ▼ 3.3% | 41 MW | — | — | — |
| Elk County | 2,458 | ▲ 8.1% | 200 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 30,177 | ▼ 2.2% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Osage County OK | 46,794 | ▲ 21.5% | 163 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County OK | 54,037 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Chautauqua County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chautauqua County, Kansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Chautauqua County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas South, Inc, Caney Valley El Coop Assn, Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chautauqua County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Caney Valley (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Chautauqua County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chautauqua County.
Is Chautauqua County adding jobs?
Employers counted 748 jobs in 2025 against 757 in 2019 (-1.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Chautauqua County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chautauqua County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.