Montgomery County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Coffeyville, Independence and Independence Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Montgomery County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Montgomery County is home to Coffeyville, Independence, Independence Township and Cherryvale. Construction employs 579, up 30.7% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 19 MW has retired here since 2019, including Coffeyville (natural gas, 19 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 100 MW of capacity, 96% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Montgomery County
Montgomery County is home to Coffeyville, Independence, Independence Township and Cherryvale.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Sycamore, Wayside.
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 Montgomery County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 31,401 | 30,177 | ▼ 3.9% | 19th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,539 | 14,217 | ▼ 2.2% | 67th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,394 | $49,430 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 443 | 579 | ▲ 30.7% | 20th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 5.3% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 19 MW | — |
Employers here counted 14,217 jobs in 2025, down 2.2% from 2019. Evergy Kansas South, Inc is the largest utility serving Montgomery County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024. 30,177 people live here, down 3.9% since 2020.
Who powers Montgomery County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −19 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Montgomery County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas South, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 302,508 | 14.25¢ | 32% |
| City of Coffeyville - (KS) | Municipal | Bundled | 4,723 | 11.53¢ | 8% |
| Caney Valley El Coop Assn, 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 96 MW | 96% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CML&P Generating Facility No. 2 | City of Coffeyville - (KS) | Natural gas | 56 MW | 2017 |
| Coffeyville | City of Coffeyville - (KS) | Petroleum | 44 MW | 1973 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffeyville | Natural gas | 19 MW | 2019 |
The Montgomery County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,217 | $49,430 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 579 | $82,069 | 0.77 |
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 Montgomery County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Montgomery County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Montgomery County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 30,177 | ▼ 2.2% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Chautauqua County | 3,321 | ▼ 1.2% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Elk County | 2,458 | ▲ 8.1% | 200 MW | — | — | — |
| Labette County | 19,685 | ▼ 4.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Neosho County | 15,637 | ▲ 2.0% | 431 MW | 7 MW | — | — |
| Nowata County OK | 9,522 | ▼ 8.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County OK | 54,037 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilson County | 8,299 | ▼ 19.5% | 6 MW | 65 MW | — | — |
More of Kansas
Montgomery County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montgomery County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Montgomery County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas South, Inc, City of Coffeyville - (KS), Caney Valley El Coop Assn, Inc, Twin Valley Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Montgomery County?
2 operating plants with 100 MW of capacity. The largest is CML&P Generating Facility No. 2 (56 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Montgomery County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Montgomery County.
Is Montgomery County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,217 jobs in 2025 against 14,539 in 2019 (-2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 443 to 579.
Does Montgomery County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montgomery County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.