Harvey County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newton, Emma Township and Hesston
Harvey County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Harvey County is home to Newton, Emma Township, Hesston and Newton Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Harvey County data center moratorium”. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 120, up 18.8% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $70,518 a year. Construction employs 645, down 7.7% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Harvey County
Harvey County is home to Newton, Emma Township, Hesston and Newton Township.
- Sedgwick also extends into Sedgwick County.
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 Harvey County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,996 | 33,580 | ▼ 1.2% | 17th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,061 | 14,096 | ▲ 0.2% | 50th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,491 | $48,579 | ▲ 23.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 699 | 645 | ▼ 7.7% | 43rd of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 101 | 120 | ▲ 18.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Evergy Kansas South, Inc is the largest utility serving Harvey County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 14,096 jobs in 2025, up 0.2% from 2019. 33,580 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Harvey County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Harvey County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas South, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 302,508 | 14.25¢ | 32% |
| Butler Rural El Coop Assn, Inc - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sedgwick County El Coop Assn Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ark Valley Elec Coop Assn, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey County | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Harvey County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,096 | $48,579 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 645 | $70,321 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 120 | $70,518 | 1.18 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $138,305 | 0.18 |
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 Harvey County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey County data center moratorium | In force | 2026-01 |
Harvey County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Harvey County, Reno 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey County | 33,580 | ▲ 0.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Butler County | 69,484 | ▲ 4.3% | 223 MW | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 11,634 | ▲ 1.0% | 500 MW | — | — | — |
| McPherson County | 30,064 | ▲ 5.2% | 331 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Reno County | 61,539 | ▲ 0.2% | 347 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
| Sedgwick County | 538,433 | ▲ 3.4% | 389 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Kansas
Harvey County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Harvey County, Kansas?
5 utilities have service territory in Harvey County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas South, Inc, Butler Rural El Coop Assn, Inc - (KS), Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc, Sedgwick County El Coop Assn Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Newton, KS in?
Newton is in Harvey County, Kansas. About 18,353 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Harvey County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Harvey County (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Harvey County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Harvey County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Reno County.
Is Harvey County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,096 jobs in 2025 against 14,061 in 2019 (+0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 699 to 645.
Does Harvey County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Harvey County, 1 in force.