Clark County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Clark 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. Clark County is home to Appleton Township, Ashland and Minneola. Employers here counted 845 jobs in 2025, up 15.3% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 105 Kansas counties). Next door, Ford County has 327 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 199 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Clark County
Clark County is home to Appleton Township, Ashland and Minneola.
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 Clark County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,976 | 1,900 | ▼ 3.8% | 100th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 733 | 845 | ▲ 15.3% | 5th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,960 | $50,273 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 199 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 604 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind, the 10th largest fleet in Kansas. Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc is the largest utility serving Clark County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.86¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 1,900 people live here, down 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Clark County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +199 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clark County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,243 | 11.86¢ | 26% |
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
| City of Ashland - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 599 MW | 99% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 1% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cimarron Bend Wind Project I, LLC | Cimarron Bend Wind Project I, LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2016 |
| Cimarron Bend Wind Project II, LLC | Cimarron Bend Wind Project II, LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2017 |
| Cimarron Bend III | Enel Kansas, LLC | Wind | 199 MW | 2020 |
| Ashland | City of Ashland - (KS) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1953 |
The Clark County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 845 | $50,273 | 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 Clark County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clark County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Clark County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clark County, Ford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 1,900 | ▲ 15.3% | 604 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaver County OK | 4,882 | ▼ 20.6% | 798 MW | — | — | — |
| Comanche County | 1,673 | ▲ 3.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Ford County | 33,993 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,480 MW | 327 MW | — | — |
| Harper County OK | 3,172 | ▲ 1.9% | 237 MW | — | — | — |
| Kiowa County | 2,432 | ▼ 4.6% | 118 MW | — | — | — |
| Meade County | 3,852 | ▲ 1.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Clark County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clark County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Clark County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, Southern Pioneer Electric Company, CMS Electric Coop Inc, City of Ashland - (KS). The largest, Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, charged residential customers 11.86¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clark County?
4 operating plants with 604 MW of capacity. The largest is Cimarron Bend Wind Project I, LLC (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Clark County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clark County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Ford County.
Is Clark County adding jobs?
Employers counted 845 jobs in 2025 against 733 in 2019 (+15.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Clark County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clark County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.