Ellsworth County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ellsworth
Ellsworth 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. Construction employs 172, up 135.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Ellsworth County is home to Ellsworth, Wilson Township, Wilson and Ellsworth Township. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 201 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Employers here counted 2,291 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Ellsworth County
Ellsworth County is home to Ellsworth, Wilson Township, Wilson and Ellsworth 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 Ellsworth County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,367 | 6,257 | ▼ 1.7% | 55th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,337 | 2,291 | ▼ 2.0% | 66th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,579 | $56,199 | ▲ 49.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73 | 172 | ▲ 135.6% | 2nd of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Ellsworth 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. 6,257 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Ellsworth County
Utilities with service territory in Ellsworth 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% |
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| Western Coop Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,799 | 14.17¢ | 79% |
| DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Holyrood - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ark Valley Elec Coop Assn, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 201 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post Rock Wind Power Project, LLC | Pattern Operators LP | Wind | 201 MW | 2012 |
The Ellsworth County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,291 | $56,199 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 172 | $129,540 | 1.42 |
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 Ellsworth County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ellsworth County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: McPherson County, Saline County.
Ellsworth County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ellsworth County, McPherson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth County | 6,257 | ▼ 2.0% | 201 MW | — | — | — |
| Barton County | 24,790 | ▼ 6.2% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 2,861 | ▼ 7.3% | 258 MW | — | — | — |
| McPherson County | 30,064 | ▲ 5.2% | 331 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Rice County | 9,266 | ▼ 1.9% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Russell County | 6,581 | ▲ 3.3% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| Saline County | 53,377 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kansas
Ellsworth County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ellsworth County, Kansas?
7 utilities have service territory in Ellsworth County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Western Coop Electric Assn Inc, DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc.. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Ellsworth County?
1 operating plant with 201 MW of capacity. The largest is Post Rock Wind Power Project, LLC (201 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Ellsworth County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ellsworth County.
Is Ellsworth County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,291 jobs in 2025 against 2,337 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 73 to 172.
Does Ellsworth County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ellsworth County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.