Ellis County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hays, Big Creek Township and Ellis
Ellis County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Ellis County, 5% of Kansas's total. Ellis County is home to Hays, Big Creek Township, Ellis and Herzog Township. Construction employs 646, up 14.1% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 59, up 13.5% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $84,806 a year.
Cities and towns in Ellis County
Ellis County is home to Hays, Big Creek Township, Ellis and Herzog Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Catharine, Munjor.
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 Ellis County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,951 | 29,075 | ▲ 0.4% | 21st of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,334 | 15,211 | ▼ 0.8% | 58th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,423 | $48,960 | ▲ 27.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 566 | 646 | ▲ 14.1% | 30th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52 | 59 | ▲ 13.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.6% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 308 MW of capacity, 66% of it wind. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Ellis County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. Employers here counted 15,211 jobs in 2025, down 0.8% from 2019. 29,075 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Ellis County
Utilities with service territory in Ellis County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| Western Coop Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,799 | 14.17¢ | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 204 MW | 66% |
| Natural gas | 104 MW | 34% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckeye Wind Energy Center | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2015 |
| Goodman Energy Center | Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Natural gas | 104 MW | 2008 |
| Fort Hays State University Wind Farm | Fort Hays State University | Wind | 4 MW | 2013 |
The Ellis County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,211 | $48,960 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 646 | $61,379 | 0.80 |
| Electrical contractors | 59 | $84,806 | 0.54 |
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 Ellis County
1 data center in Ellis County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Ellis County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ellis County, Ness 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County | 29,075 | ▼ 0.8% | 308 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Ness County | 2,617 | ▼ 4.1% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Osborne County | 3,285 | ▼ 15.8% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Rooks County | 4,646 | ▼ 2.7% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Rush County | 2,845 | ▼ 3.9% | 58 MW | — | — | — |
| Russell County | 6,581 | ▲ 3.3% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| Trego County | 2,740 | ▼ 17.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Ellis County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ellis County, Kansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Ellis County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Western Coop Electric Assn Inc. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hays, KS in?
Hays is in Ellis County, Kansas. About 21,258 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ellis County?
3 operating plants with 308 MW of capacity. The largest is Buckeye Wind Energy Center (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Ellis County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Ellis County.
Is Ellis County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,211 jobs in 2025 against 15,334 in 2019 (-0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 566 to 646.
Does Ellis County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ellis County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.