Harper County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Anthony and Harper
No data center or power plant project is on record in Harper County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Harper County is home to Anthony, Harper and Township 1. Construction employs 120, down 16.7% since 2019. Next door, Sumner County has 765 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 287 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Harper County
Harper County is home to Anthony, Harper and Township 1.
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 Harper County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,471 | 5,370 | ▼ 1.8% | 63rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,470 | 2,464 | ▼ 0.2% | 55th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,798 | $50,618 | ▲ 24.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 144 | 120 | ▼ 16.7% | 48th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 287 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 298 MW of capacity, 96% of it wind. Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Harper County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 2,464 jobs in 2025, down 0.2% from 2019. 5,370 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Harper County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +287 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Harper County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,118 | 13.97¢ | 63% |
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 205 | 10.41¢ | 22% |
| City of Anthony - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Attica - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sumner-Cowley Elec 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 287 MW | 96% |
| Natural gas | 11 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Ridge 5 | Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Wind | 153 MW | 2025 |
| Flat Ridge 4 | Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Wind | 134 MW | 2025 |
| Anthony | City of Anthony - (KS) | Natural gas | 11 MW | 1972 |
The Harper County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,464 | $50,618 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 120 | $91,004 | 0.92 |
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 Harper County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Harper County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Kingman County.
Harper County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Harper County, Sumner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper County | 5,370 | ▼ 0.2% | 298 MW | — | — | — |
| Alfalfa County OK | 5,649 | ▼ 22.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Barber County | 4,083 | ▼ 3.6% | 283 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Grant County OK | 4,067 | ▼ 4.8% | 299 MW | — | — | — |
| Kingman County | 7,029 | ▲ 16.7% | 618 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sumner County | 22,312 | ▼ 6.0% | 506 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
More of Kansas
Harper County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Harper County, Kansas?
7 utilities have service territory in Harper County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc, Southern Pioneer Electric Company, Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc, City of Anthony - (KS). The largest, Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Harper County?
3 operating plants with 298 MW of capacity. The largest is Flat Ridge 5 (153 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Harper County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Harper County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sumner County.
Is Harper County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,464 jobs in 2025 against 2,470 in 2019 (-0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 144 to 120.
Does Harper County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Harper County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.