Geary County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Junction City, Smoky Hill Township and Jefferson Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Geary County. Geary County is home to Junction City, Smoky Hill Township, Jefferson Township and Grandview Plaza. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Unemployment was 6.2% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Geary County
Geary County is home to Junction City, Smoky Hill Township, Jefferson Township and Grandview Plaza.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Riley.
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 Geary County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,768 | 36,338 | ▼ 1.2% | 13th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,750 | 12,435 | ▼ 2.5% | 69th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,802 | $51,694 | ▲ 23.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 6.2% | ▲ 2.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 12,435 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Geary 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. 36,338 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Geary County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Geary 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% |
| DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munson-DS&O | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Geary County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,435 | $51,694 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6 | $86,369 | 0.16 |
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 Geary County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Geary County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Geary County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geary County | 36,338 | ▼ 2.5% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 7,990 | ▼ 4.8% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,637 | ▲ 7.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Morris County | 5,348 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Riley County | 72,598 | ▲ 3.7% | 4 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wabaunsee County | 7,018 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Geary County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Geary County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Geary County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc., Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc, Bluestem Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Junction City, KS in?
Junction City is in Geary County, Kansas. About 22,583 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Geary County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Munson-DS&O (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Geary County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Geary County.
Is Geary County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,435 jobs in 2025 against 12,750 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Geary County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Geary County, 1 in force.