Graham County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hill City Township and Hill City
No data center or power plant project is on record in Graham County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Graham County is home to Hill City Township and Hill City. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 786 jobs in 2025, down 5.8% from 2019. Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Graham County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities.
Cities and towns in Graham County
Graham County is home to Hill City Township and Hill City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Nicodemus.
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 Graham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,406 | 2,371 | ▼ 1.5% | 97th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 834 | 786 | ▼ 5.8% | 85th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,760 | $47,135 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.8% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
2,371 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Graham County
Utilities with service territory in Graham 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% |
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,273 | 14.29¢ | 28% |
| Western Coop Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,799 | 14.17¢ | 79% |
| City of Hill City | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 7 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill City | City of Hill City -(KS) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1952 |
The Graham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 786 | $47,135 | 1.00 |
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 Graham County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Graham County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Graham County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Graham County, Rooks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham County | 2,371 | ▼ 5.8% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Gove County | 2,631 | ▼ 11.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Norton County | 5,288 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Phillips County | 4,728 | ▼ 6.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Rooks County | 4,646 | ▼ 2.7% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Sheridan County | 2,427 | ▲ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Trego County | 2,740 | ▼ 17.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Graham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Graham County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Graham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, Western Coop Electric Assn Inc, City of Hill City. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Graham County?
1 operating plant with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Hill City (7 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Graham County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Graham County.
Is Graham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 786 jobs in 2025 against 834 in 2019 (-5.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Graham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Graham County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.