Comanche County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Comanche 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. Comanche County is home to Coldwater Township, Coldwater and Protection Township. Next door, Barber County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 656 jobs in 2025, up 3.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Comanche County
Comanche County is home to Coldwater Township, Coldwater and Protection 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 Comanche County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,679 | 1,673 | ▼ 0.4% | 101st of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 632 | 656 | ▲ 3.8% | 27th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $29,576 | $41,158 | ▲ 39.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Southern Pioneer Electric Company is the largest utility serving Comanche County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.86¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 1,673 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Comanche County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Comanche County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
| Ninnescah Rural E C A 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 | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMS-Coldwater | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2022 |
The Comanche County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 656 | $41,158 | 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 Comanche County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Comanche County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Comanche County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Comanche County, Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comanche County | 1,673 | ▲ 3.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Barber County | 4,083 | ▼ 3.6% | 283 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Clark County | 1,900 | ▲ 15.3% | 604 MW | — | — | — |
| Harper County OK | 3,172 | ▲ 1.9% | 237 MW | — | — | — |
| Kiowa County | 2,432 | ▼ 4.6% | 118 MW | — | — | — |
| Woods County OK | 8,443 | ▼ 5.3% | 203 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Comanche County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Comanche County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Comanche County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Pioneer Electric Company, CMS Electric Coop Inc, Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc. The largest, Southern Pioneer Electric Company, charged residential customers 15.86¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Comanche County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is CMS-Coldwater (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Comanche County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Comanche County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Barber County.
Is Comanche County adding jobs?
Employers counted 656 jobs in 2025 against 632 in 2019 (+3.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Comanche County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Comanche County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.