Meade County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Meade Center Township, Meade and West Plains Township
Meade 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. Construction employs 181, up 46.0% since 2019, and construction is 2.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Meade County is home to Meade Center Township, Meade, West Plains Township and Plains. Next door, Ford County has 327 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Meade County
Meade County is home to Meade Center Township, Meade, West Plains Township and Plains.
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 Meade County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,059 | 3,852 | ▼ 5.1% | 74th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,605 | 1,624 | ▲ 1.2% | 46th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,926 | $54,190 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 124 | 181 | ▲ 46.0% | 12th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc is the largest utility serving Meade County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.86¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. Employers here counted 1,624 jobs in 2025, up 1.2% from 2019. 3,852 people live here, down 5.1% since 2020.
Who powers Meade County
Utilities with service territory in Meade County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,243 | 11.86¢ | 26% |
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
| City of Meade - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade | City of Meade - (KS) | Natural gas | 8 MW | 1951 |
The Meade County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,624 | $54,190 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 181 | $66,936 | 2.10 |
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 Meade County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Meade County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Meade County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Meade County, Ford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County | 3,852 | ▲ 1.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaver County OK | 4,882 | ▼ 20.6% | 798 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 1,900 | ▲ 15.3% | 604 MW | — | — | — |
| Ford County | 33,993 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,480 MW | 327 MW | — | — |
| Gray County | 5,652 | ▼ 1.5% | 508 MW | — | — | — |
| Haskell County | 3,599 | ▲ 3.8% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Seward County | 21,073 | ▲ 3.7% | 68 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Meade County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Meade County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Meade County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, Southern Pioneer Electric Company, CMS Electric Coop Inc, City of Meade - (KS). The largest, Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, charged residential customers 11.86¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Meade County?
1 operating plant with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Meade (8 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Meade County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Meade County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Ford County.
Is Meade County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,624 jobs in 2025 against 1,605 in 2019 (+1.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 124 to 181.
Does Meade County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Meade County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.