McPherson County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to McPherson, Lindsborg and Mound Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in McPherson County. McPherson County is home to McPherson, Lindsborg, Mound Township and Moundridge. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers with no end date”. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Construction employs 806, down 3.8% since 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in McPherson County
McPherson County is home to McPherson, Lindsborg, Mound Township and Moundridge.
And 9 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Elyria, Roxbury.
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 McPherson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,195 | 30,064 | ▼ 0.4% | 20th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,598 | 16,416 | ▲ 5.2% | 19th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,564 | $62,105 | ▲ 27.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 838 | 806 | ▼ 3.8% | 40th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 107 | 85 | ▼ 20.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 16,416 jobs in 2025, up 5.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 331 MW of capacity, 78% of it natural gas. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving McPherson County, one of 10 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 30,064 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 85, down 20.6% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $78,813 a year.
Who powers McPherson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in McPherson 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% |
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| City of McPherson - (KS) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,432 | 8.99¢ | 9% |
| DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Galva - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lindsborg - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 259 MW | 78% |
| Petroleum | 71 MW | 21% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson 2 | City of McPherson - (KS) | Natural gas | 215 MW | 1973 |
| McPherson 3 | City of McPherson - (KS) | Natural gas | 116 MW | 1998 |
| Lindsborg | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The McPherson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,416 | $62,105 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 806 | $78,562 | 0.93 |
| Electrical contractors | 85 | $78,813 | 0.72 |
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 McPherson County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers with no end date | In force | 2026-01 |
McPherson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border McPherson County, Reno 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson County | 30,064 | ▲ 5.2% | 331 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dickinson County | 18,637 | ▲ 7.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Ellsworth County | 6,257 | ▼ 2.0% | 201 MW | — | — | — |
| Harvey County | 33,580 | ▲ 0.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marion County | 11,634 | ▲ 1.0% | 500 MW | — | — | — |
| Reno County | 61,539 | ▲ 0.2% | 347 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
| Rice County | 9,266 | ▼ 1.9% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Saline County | 53,377 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kansas
McPherson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McPherson County, Kansas?
10 utilities have service territory in McPherson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), City of McPherson - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is McPherson, KS in?
McPherson is in McPherson County, Kansas. About 13,918 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in McPherson County?
3 operating plants with 331 MW of capacity. The largest is McPherson 2 (215 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in McPherson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in McPherson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Reno County.
Is McPherson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,416 jobs in 2025 against 15,598 in 2019 (+5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 838 to 806.
Does McPherson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for McPherson County, 1 in force.