Ford County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dodge City, Spearville Township and Enterprise Township
Ford County is a generation frontier for Kansas. Ford County is home to Dodge City, Spearville Township, Enterprise Township and Richland Township. 327 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC (wind), the 3rd largest pipeline among Kansas's counties. 252 MW of it is already under construction or built. 448 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 1,480 MW of capacity, 80% of it wind, the 4th largest fleet in Kansas. Construction employs 490, up 8.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Ford County
Ford County is home to Dodge City, Spearville Township, Enterprise Township and Richland Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Dodge, Wilroads Gardens, Wright.
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 Ford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,213 | 33,993 | ▼ 0.6% | 16th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,925 | 18,345 | ▲ 8.4% | 10th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,201 | $52,337 | ▲ 21.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 450 | 490 | ▲ 8.9% | 32nd of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 448 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 327 MW | 22% of today's fleet | 3rd of 10 by size |
Employers here counted 18,345 jobs in 2025, up 8.4% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 105 Kansas counties). Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc is the largest utility serving Ford County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.86¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 33,993 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Ford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +448 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ford County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,243 | 11.86¢ | 26% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1,181 MW | 80% |
| Solar | 150 MW | 10% |
| Natural gas | 149 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Star Wind Project | Engie North America | Wind | 298 MW | 2021 |
| Western Plains Wind Farm | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Wind | 281 MW | 2017 |
| Bloom Wind | CP Bloom Wind LLC | Wind | 178 MW | 2017 |
| Ironwood Wind | Deriva Energy | Wind | 168 MW | 2012 |
| Boot Hill Solar | Boot Hill Solar LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2026 |
| Fort Dodge | Sunflower Electric Power Corp | Natural gas | 149 MW | 1969 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Creek Wind, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | 252 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | NextEra Energy Resources, LLC |
| Boot Hill Energy Storage | Batteries | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Boot Hill Energy Storage LLC |
The Ford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,345 | $52,337 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 490 | $62,032 | 0.50 |
| Electric utilities | 130 | $112,156 | 2.62 |
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 Ford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ford County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Ford County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford County | 33,993 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,480 MW | 327 MW | — | — |
| Clark County | 1,900 | ▲ 15.3% | 604 MW | — | — | — |
| Edwards County | 2,640 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Gray County | 5,652 | ▼ 1.5% | 508 MW | — | — | — |
| Hodgeman County | 1,619 | ▲ 3.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Kiowa County | 2,432 | ▼ 4.6% | 118 MW | — | — | — |
| Meade County | 3,852 | ▲ 1.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Ford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ford County, Kansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Ford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, CMS Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, charged residential customers 11.86¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dodge City, KS in?
Dodge City is in Ford County, Kansas. About 27,653 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ford County?
8 operating plants with 1,480 MW of capacity. The largest is Iron Star Wind Project (298 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Ford County?
327 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 252 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is NextEra Energy Resources, LLC.
Are there data centers in Ford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ford County.
Is Ford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,345 jobs in 2025 against 16,925 in 2019 (+8.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 450 to 490.
Does Ford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ford County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.