Labette County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Parsons, Oswego and Mount Pleasant Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Labette County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 115, up 57.5% since 2019. Labette County is home to Parsons, Oswego, Mount Pleasant Township and Altamont. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 8,501 jobs in 2025, down 4.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Labette County
Labette County is home to Parsons, Oswego, Mount Pleasant Township and Altamont.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dennis.
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 Labette County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,169 | 19,685 | ▼ 2.4% | 27th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,880 | 8,501 | ▼ 4.3% | 78th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,658 | $49,327 | ▲ 31.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73 | 115 | ▲ 57.5% | 9th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 21, at an average $56,367 a year. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Labette County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 19,685 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Labette County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Labette 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 Kansas South, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 302,508 | 14.25¢ | 32% |
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 8,412 | 13.34¢ | 25% |
| City of Coffeyville - (KS) | Municipal | Bundled | 4,723 | 11.53¢ | 8% |
| City of Altamont - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Chetopa - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Heartland Rural Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Twin Valley Electric Coop 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mound | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Labette County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,501 | $49,327 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 115 | $53,449 | 0.26 |
| Electrical contractors | 21 | $56,367 | 0.34 |
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 Labette County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Labette County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Labette County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Labette County, Neosho 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labette County | 19,685 | ▼ 4.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County | 19,105 | ▲ 0.1% | 268 MW | 27 MW | — | — |
| Craig County OK | 14,518 | ▼ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 39,008 | ▼ 0.2% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 30,177 | ▼ 2.2% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Neosho County | 15,637 | ▲ 2.0% | 431 MW | 7 MW | — | — |
| Nowata County OK | 9,522 | ▼ 8.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Labette County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Labette County, Kansas?
8 utilities have service territory in Labette County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, Empire District Electric Co, City of Coffeyville - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Labette County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Mound (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Labette County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Labette County.
Is Labette County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,501 jobs in 2025 against 8,880 in 2019 (-4.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 73 to 115.
Does Labette County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Labette County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.