Lane County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dighton Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Lane County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Lane County is home to Dighton Township and Dighton. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 585 jobs in 2025, down 7.9% from 2019. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Lane County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 1,508 people live here, down 3.8% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Lane County
Lane County is home to Dighton Township and Dighton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Healy.
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 Lane County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,568 | 1,508 | ▼ 3.8% | 103rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 635 | 585 | ▼ 7.9% | 91st of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,836 | $49,680 | ▲ 24.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 5.2% | ▲ 2.6pts | — |
Who powers Lane County
Utilities with service territory in Lane County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| City of Dighton - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lane-Scott 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.
No operating power plant is located in Lane County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lane County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 585 | $49,680 | 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 Lane County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lane County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Lane County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Lane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lane County | 1,508 | ▼ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Finney County | 37,505 | ▲ 5.1% | 635 MW | — | — | — |
| Gove County | 2,631 | ▼ 11.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Ness County | 2,617 | ▼ 4.1% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 4,815 | ▼ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Lane County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lane County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Lane County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), City of Dighton - (KS), Lane-Scott Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Lane County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lane County.
Is Lane County adding jobs?
Employers counted 585 jobs in 2025 against 635 in 2019 (-7.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lane County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lane County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.