Franklin County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ottawa, Franklin Township and Wellsville
Franklin County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Franklin County is home to Ottawa, Franklin Township, Wellsville and Pomona Township. Construction employs 536, up 42.2% since 2019. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Moratorium on data center special use permits through 2028”. Employers here counted 10,062 jobs in 2025, up 8.7% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 105 Kansas counties). 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including Ottawa (natural gas, 12 MW, 2020).
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to Ottawa, Franklin Township, Wellsville and Pomona Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Centropolis.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,014 | 26,299 | ▲ 1.1% | 23rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,259 | 10,062 | ▲ 8.7% | 9th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,586 | $52,987 | ▲ 33.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 377 | 536 | ▲ 42.2% | 13th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 19 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Franklin County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 26,299 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Franklin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Franklin 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% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 244,555 | 13.13¢ | 51% |
| City of Ottawa - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Pomona - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 19 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | City of Ottawa - (KS) | Natural gas | 19 MW | 1958 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | Natural gas | 12 MW | 2020 |
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,062 | $52,987 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 536 | $72,795 | 1.01 |
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 Franklin County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moratorium on data center special use permits through 2028 | In force | 2026-09 |
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Franklin County, Johnson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 26,299 | ▲ 8.7% | 19 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Anderson County | 8,018 | ▲ 15.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Coffey County | 8,467 | ▼ 5.2% | 1,527 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 120,920 | ▲ 2.3% | 540 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnson County | 636,906 | ▲ 5.3% | 447 MW | — | 14 | — |
| Linn County | 9,950 | ▲ 7.6% | 1,599 MW | — | — | — |
| Miami County | 36,240 | ▲ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Osage County | 15,693 | ▲ 4.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Evergy Metro, City of Ottawa - (KS), City of Pomona - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ottawa, KS in?
Ottawa is in Franklin County, Kansas. About 12,716 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Franklin County?
1 operating plant with 19 MW of capacity. The largest is Ottawa (19 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Franklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Johnson County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,062 jobs in 2025 against 9,259 in 2019 (+8.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 377 to 536.
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Franklin County, 1 in force.