Jefferson County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rock Creek Township, Oskaloosa Township and Delaware Township
Jefferson County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Construction employs 879, up 85.1% since 2019, and construction is 4.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Jefferson County is home to Rock Creek Township, Oskaloosa Township, Delaware Township and Fairview Township. Next door, Shawnee County has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Jefferson County
Jefferson County is home to Rock Creek Township, Oskaloosa Township, Delaware Township and Fairview Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Grantville, Williamstown.
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 Jefferson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,330 | 18,296 | ▼ 0.2% | 30th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,693 | 3,824 | ▲ 3.5% | 32nd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,269 | $56,326 | ▲ 51.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 475 | 879 | ▲ 85.1% | 6th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 3,824 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Jefferson County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 18,296 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Jefferson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jefferson 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% |
| FreeState Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,514 | 16.41¢ | 13% |
| Brown-Atchison E C A 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oskaloosa | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Jefferson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,824 | $56,326 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 879 | $83,557 | 4.34 |
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 Jefferson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jefferson County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Douglas County, Leavenworth County, Shawnee County.
Jefferson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Jefferson County, Douglas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 18,296 | ▲ 3.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Atchison County | 16,172 | ▲ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 120,920 | ▲ 2.3% | 540 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County | 13,438 | ▲ 6.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Leavenworth County | 84,590 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Shawnee County | 178,607 | ▲ 6.3% | 8 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Kansas
Jefferson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jefferson County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Jefferson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, FreeState Electric Coop, Brown-Atchison E C A Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jefferson County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Oskaloosa (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Jefferson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jefferson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shawnee County.
Is Jefferson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,824 jobs in 2025 against 3,693 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 475 to 879.
Does Jefferson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jefferson County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.