Kearny County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lakin Township and Lakin
Kearny 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. Kearny County is home to Lakin Township, Lakin, Deerfield Township and Deerfield. Employers here counted 1,631 jobs in 2025, up 12.3% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 105 Kansas counties). Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including Lakin Municipal (natural gas, 4 MW, 2019). Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Kearny County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Kearny County
Kearny County is home to Lakin Township, Lakin, Deerfield Township and Deerfield.
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 Kearny County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,968 | 3,888 | ▼ 2.0% | 73rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,453 | 1,631 | ▲ 12.3% | 8th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,068 | $50,087 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — |
3,888 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Kearny County
Utilities with service territory in Kearny 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% |
| Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,031 | 11.19¢ | 34% |
| City of Lakin - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Kearny County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakin Municipal | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2019 |
The Kearny County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,631 | $50,087 | 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 Kearny County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kearny County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Kearny County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Kearny County, Finney 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearny County | 3,888 | ▲ 12.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Finney County | 37,505 | ▲ 5.1% | 635 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,028 | ▼ 5.0% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 2,500 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Haskell County | 3,599 | ▲ 3.8% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 4,815 | ▼ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Stanton County | 1,986 | ▼ 19.0% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Wichita County | 2,031 | ▼ 17.0% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Kearny County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kearny County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Kearny County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc, Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS), City of Lakin - (KS). The largest, Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Kearny County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kearny County.
Is Kearny County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,631 jobs in 2025 against 1,453 in 2019 (+12.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kearny County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kearny County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.