Cheyenne County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wano Township and St. Francis
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cheyenne County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cheyenne County is home to Wano Township, St. Francis and Bird City Township. Next door, Kit Carson County, Colorado, has 753 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 9 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 867 jobs in 2025, down 1.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Cheyenne County
Cheyenne County is home to Wano Township, St. Francis and Bird City 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 Cheyenne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,613 | 2,604 | ▼ 0.3% | 89th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 881 | 867 | ▼ 1.6% | 64th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,478 | $41,518 | ▲ 17.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Cheyenne County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 2,604 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Cheyenne County
Utilities with service territory in Cheyenne 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% |
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,273 | 14.29¢ | 28% |
| City of St Francis - (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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis | City of St Francis - (KS) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1953 |
| Bird City | Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1965 |
The Cheyenne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 867 | $41,518 | 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 Cheyenne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cheyenne County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Dundy County.
Cheyenne County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cheyenne County, Kit Carson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne County | 2,604 | ▼ 1.6% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Dundy County NE | 1,568 | ▲ 15.0% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Kit Carson County CO | 7,069 | ▲ 6.4% | 1,436 MW | 753 MW | — | — |
| Rawlins County | 2,431 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Sherman County | 5,763 | ▼ 3.5% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Yuma County CO | 9,896 | ▼ 5.1% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Cheyenne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cheyenne County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Cheyenne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, City of St Francis - (KS). The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cheyenne County?
2 operating plants with 9 MW of capacity. The largest is St Francis (5 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Cheyenne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cheyenne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Kit Carson County.
Is Cheyenne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 867 jobs in 2025 against 881 in 2019 (-1.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cheyenne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cheyenne County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.