Dickinson County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Abilene, Herington and Noble Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Dickinson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 379, up 83.1% since 2019. Dickinson County is home to Abilene, Herington, Noble Township and Lincoln Township. Employers here counted 6,601 jobs in 2025, up 7.7% from 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Dickinson County
Dickinson County is home to Abilene, Herington, Noble Township and Lincoln Township.
And 7 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Detroit, Navarre, Talmage.
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 Dickinson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,383 | 18,637 | ▲ 1.4% | 29th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,129 | 6,601 | ▲ 7.7% | 13th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,356 | $45,487 | ▲ 28.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 207 | 379 | ▲ 83.1% | 7th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 62% of it petroleum. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Dickinson County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 18,637 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Dickinson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dickinson 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% |
| City of Chapman - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Enterprise - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Herington - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 62% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 38% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herington | City of Herington - (KS) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2001 |
| Solomon-DS&O | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Dickinson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,601 | $45,487 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 379 | $52,376 | 1.08 |
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 Dickinson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dickinson County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Geary County, McPherson County, Saline County.
Dickinson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Dickinson County, Marion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County | 18,637 | ▲ 7.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 7,990 | ▼ 4.8% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Geary County | 36,338 | ▼ 2.5% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marion County | 11,634 | ▲ 1.0% | 500 MW | — | — | — |
| McPherson County | 30,064 | ▲ 5.2% | 331 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Morris County | 5,348 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Ottawa County | 5,744 | ▼ 0.5% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Saline County | 53,377 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kansas
Dickinson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dickinson County, Kansas?
7 utilities have service territory in Dickinson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, City of Chapman - (KS), DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc., City of Enterprise - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Dickinson County?
2 operating plants with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Herington (2 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Dickinson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dickinson County.
Is Dickinson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,601 jobs in 2025 against 6,129 in 2019 (+7.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 207 to 379.
Does Dickinson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dickinson County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.