Jewell County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ionia
Jewell 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. Jewell County is home to Center Township and Mankato. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Next door, Cloud County has 202 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 701 jobs in 2025, down 7.9% from 2019. Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc is the largest utility serving Jewell 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.
Cities and towns in Jewell County
Jewell County is home to Center Township and Mankato.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ionia.
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 Jewell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,928 | 2,830 | ▼ 3.3% | 82nd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 761 | 701 | ▼ 7.9% | 92nd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $30,282 | $37,565 | ▲ 24.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 5.0% | ▲ 2.1pts | — |
2,830 people live here, down 3.3% since 2020.
Who powers Jewell County
Utilities with service territory in Jewell County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,273 | 14.29¢ | 28% |
| City of Mankato - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 0% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Jewell County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Jewell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 701 | $37,565 | 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 Jewell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jewell County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Jewell County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Jewell County, Cloud 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewell County | 2,830 | ▼ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Cloud County | 8,833 | ▲ 2.0% | 201 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 5,590 | ▼ 1.4% | 21 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Nuckolls County NE | 4,100 | ▲ 10.0% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Osborne County | 3,285 | ▼ 15.8% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Republic County | 4,640 | ▲ 5.3% | 653 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Smith County | 3,566 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Webster County NE | 3,336 | ▲ 1.7% | 347 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Jewell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jewell County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Jewell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, City of Mankato - (KS), Rolling Hills Electric Coop, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Jewell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jewell County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cloud County.
Is Jewell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 701 jobs in 2025 against 761 in 2019 (-7.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Jewell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jewell County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.