Cowley County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Arkansas City, Winfield and Creswell Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cowley County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 531, up 109.1% since 2019. Cowley County is home to Arkansas City, Winfield, Creswell Township and Bolton Township. Next door, Sumner County has 765 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 13,138 jobs in 2025, down 3.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Cowley County
Cowley County is home to Arkansas City, Winfield, Creswell Township and Bolton Township.
And 7 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): New Salem, Rock, Silverdale.
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 Cowley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,528 | 34,382 | ▼ 0.4% | 15th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,584 | 13,138 | ▼ 3.3% | 72nd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,836 | $51,515 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 254 | 531 | ▲ 109.1% | 3rd of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 41 MW of capacity, 92% of it natural gas. Evergy Kansas South, Inc is the largest utility serving Cowley County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024. 34,382 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Cowley County
Utilities with service territory in Cowley 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% |
| City of Winfield - (KS) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,284 | 13.82¢ | 32% |
| Butler Rural El Coop Assn, Inc - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Caney Valley El Coop Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sumner-Cowley Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Udall - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 38 MW | 92% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East 12th Street | City of Winfield - (KS) | Natural gas | 28 MW | 1970 |
| West 14th Street | City of Winfield - (KS) | Natural gas | 11 MW | 1962 |
| Waste Water Plant Generator | City of Winfield - (KS) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1993 |
The Cowley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,138 | $51,515 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 531 | $81,260 | 0.76 |
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 Cowley County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cowley County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Sedgwick County.
Cowley County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Cowley County, Sumner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowley County | 34,382 | ▼ 3.3% | 41 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 69,484 | ▲ 4.3% | 223 MW | — | — | — |
| Chautauqua County | 3,321 | ▼ 1.2% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Elk County | 2,458 | ▲ 8.1% | 200 MW | — | — | — |
| Kay County OK | 43,490 | ▼ 0.6% | 1,358 MW | — | — | — |
| Osage County OK | 46,794 | ▲ 21.5% | 163 MW | — | — | — |
| Sedgwick County | 538,433 | ▲ 3.4% | 389 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Sumner County | 22,312 | ▼ 6.0% | 506 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
More of Kansas
Cowley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cowley County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Cowley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas South, Inc, City of Winfield - (KS), Butler Rural El Coop Assn, Inc - (KS), Caney Valley El Coop Assn, Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Arkansas City, KS in?
Arkansas City is in Cowley County, Kansas. About 11,800 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Winfield, KS in?
Winfield is in Cowley County, Kansas. About 11,745 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cowley County?
3 operating plants with 41 MW of capacity. The largest is East 12th Street (28 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cowley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cowley County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sumner County.
Is Cowley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,138 jobs in 2025 against 13,584 in 2019 (-3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 254 to 531.
Does Cowley County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cowley County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.