Miami County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Paola, Louisburg and Osawatomie
Miami County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 910, up 36.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Miami County is home to Paola, Louisburg, Osawatomie and part of Spring Hill (4,047 of its 10,777 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. Electrical contractors employ 113, up 41.3% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $65,552 a year. Employers here counted 9,287 jobs in 2025, up 8.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Miami County
Miami County is home to Paola, Louisburg, Osawatomie and part of Spring Hill (4,047 of its 10,777 residents).
- Spring Hill also extends into Johnson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bucyrus, Hillsdale, Somerset.
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 Miami County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,224 | 36,240 | ▲ 5.9% | 14th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,584 | 9,287 | ▲ 8.2% | 11th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,883 | $55,321 | ▲ 42.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 666 | 910 | ▲ 36.6% | 15th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 80 | 113 | ▲ 41.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — |
7 MW has retired here since 2019, including Osawatomie City of (petroleum, 7 MW, 2024). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Its power plants have 119 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas. Evergy Metro is the largest utility serving Miami County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.13¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 36,240 people live here, up 5.9% since 2020.
Who powers Miami County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Miami County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 244,555 | 13.13¢ | 51% |
| City of Osawatomie - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Heartland Rural Elec 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 102 MW | 86% |
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 10% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osawatomie | Evergy Metro | Natural gas | 102 MW | 2003 |
| Osawatomie Power Plant North Sub | City of Osawatomie - (KS) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2018 |
| Osawatomie Power Plant South Sub | City of Osawatomie - (KS) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2017 |
| Osawatomie Solar | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osawatomie City of | Petroleum | 7 MW | 2024 |
The Miami County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,287 | $55,321 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 910 | $69,137 | 1.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 113 | $65,552 | 1.69 |
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 Miami County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-01 |
Miami County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Miami County, Johnson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami County | 36,240 | ▲ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Anderson County | 8,018 | ▲ 15.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Bates County MO | 16,512 | ▲ 4.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County MO | 115,859 | ▲ 16.3% | 1,095 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 120,920 | ▲ 2.3% | 540 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Franklin County | 26,299 | ▲ 8.7% | 19 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnson County | 636,906 | ▲ 5.3% | 447 MW | — | 14 | — |
| Linn County | 9,950 | ▲ 7.6% | 1,599 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Miami County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Miami County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Miami County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Metro, City of Osawatomie - (KS), Heartland Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Evergy Metro, charged residential customers 13.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Miami County?
4 operating plants with 119 MW of capacity. The largest is Osawatomie (102 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Miami County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Miami County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Johnson County.
Is Miami County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,287 jobs in 2025 against 8,584 in 2019 (+8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 666 to 910.
Does Miami County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Miami County, 1 in force.