Clay County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clay Center
Clay 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. Clay County is home to Clay Center and Wakefield. Next door, Cloud County has 202 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,859 jobs in 2025, down 4.8% from 2019. Its power plants have 30 MW of capacity, 73% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Clay Center and Wakefield.
- Clifton also extends into Washington County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Idana.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,126 | 7,990 | ▼ 1.7% | 48th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,004 | 2,859 | ▼ 4.8% | 80th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,549 | $40,802 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 100 | 99 | ▼ 1.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 7,990 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Clay County
Utilities with service territory in Clay 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% |
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,273 | 14.29¢ | 28% |
| City of Clay Center - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bluestem Electric 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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 22 MW | 73% |
| Natural gas | 8 MW | 27% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Center | City of Clay Center - (KS) | Petroleum | 30 MW | 1948 |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,859 | $40,802 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 99 | $44,046 | 0.65 |
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 Clay County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clay County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Geary County, Riley County.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clay County, Cloud 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 7,990 | ▼ 4.8% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Cloud County | 8,833 | ▲ 2.0% | 201 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,637 | ▲ 7.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Geary County | 36,338 | ▼ 2.5% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ottawa County | 5,744 | ▼ 0.5% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Riley County | 72,598 | ▲ 3.7% | 4 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Washington County | 5,533 | ▲ 0.4% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Kansas?
5 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, City of Clay Center - (KS), Rolling Hills Electric Coop. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clay County?
1 operating plant with 30 MW of capacity. The largest is Clay Center (30 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cloud County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,859 jobs in 2025 against 3,004 in 2019 (-4.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 100 to 99.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.