Johnson County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Overland Park, Olathe and Shawnee
The data center boom is not abstract in Johnson County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 14 data centers in Johnson County, 70% of Kansas's total. Johnson County is home to Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee and Lenexa. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Pilot / Beale Infrastructure De Soto Campus. Construction employs 18,679, up 16.0% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 2,140, up 22.1% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $90,236 a year.
Cities and towns in Johnson County
Johnson County is home to Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee and Lenexa.
And 1 smaller places.
- Spring Hill also extends into Miami 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 Johnson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 611,129 | 636,906 | ▲ 4.2% | 1st of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 353,498 | 372,167 | ▲ 5.3% | 17th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,612 | $77,972 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,099 | 18,679 | ▲ 16.0% | 26th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,752 | 2,140 | ▲ 22.1% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 213 | 357 | ▲ 67.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 871 | 1,398 | ▲ 60.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 372,167 jobs in 2025, up 5.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 447 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Johnson 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. 636,906 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020, 1st of 105 Kansas counties by population.
Who powers Johnson County
Utilities with service territory in Johnson 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% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 244,555 | 13.13¢ | 51% |
| City of Gardner - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 447 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Gardner | Evergy Metro | Natural gas | 408 MW | 2003 |
| Gardner Energy Center | City of Gardner - (KS) | Natural gas | 39 MW | 1990 |
The Johnson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 372,167 | $77,972 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 18,679 | $91,470 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,140 | $90,236 | 0.80 |
| Power and communication line construction | 357 | $87,038 | 0.59 |
| Electric utilities | 435 | $121,649 | 0.43 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,398 | $155,440 | 1.21 |
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 Johnson County
14 data centers in Johnson County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Pilot / Beale Infrastructure De Soto Campus | approved expanded amid opposition | — |
Johnson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Johnson County, Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 636,906 | ▲ 5.3% | 447 MW | — | 14 | — |
| Cass County MO | 115,859 | ▲ 16.3% | 1,095 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 120,920 | ▲ 2.3% | 540 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Franklin County | 26,299 | ▲ 8.7% | 19 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County MO | 732,994 | ● 0.0% | 2,018 MW | — | 16 | 2 |
| Leavenworth County | 84,590 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Miami County | 36,240 | ▲ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wyandotte County | 170,597 | ▲ 3.5% | 510 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Johnson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Johnson County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Johnson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Evergy Metro, City of Gardner - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Overland Park, KS in?
Overland Park is in Johnson County, Kansas. About 203,677 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Olathe, KS in?
Olathe is in Johnson County, Kansas. About 150,025 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Shawnee, KS in?
Shawnee is in Johnson County, Kansas. About 69,848 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Johnson County?
2 operating plants with 447 MW of capacity. The largest is West Gardner (408 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Johnson County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 14 data centers in Johnson County.
Is Johnson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 372,167 jobs in 2025 against 353,498 in 2019 (+5.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 16,099 to 18,679.
Does Johnson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Johnson County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.