Morris County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Council Grove
Morris 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. Morris County is home to Council Grove, Township 2 and Township 5. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,588 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Morris County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 5,348 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Morris County
Morris County is home to Council Grove, Township 2 and Township 5.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burdick.
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 Morris County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,363 | 5,348 | ▼ 0.3% | 64th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,528 | 1,588 | ▲ 3.9% | 25th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,057 | $42,716 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
Who powers Morris County
Utilities with service territory in Morris 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% |
| DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Herington - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Morris County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Morris County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,588 | $42,716 | 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 Morris County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Morris County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Geary County, Lyon County.
Morris County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Morris County, Lyon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris County | 5,348 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Chase County | 2,572 | ▼ 21.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,637 | ▲ 7.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Geary County | 36,338 | ▼ 2.5% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lyon County | 32,266 | ▼ 3.3% | 932 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Marion County | 11,634 | ▲ 1.0% | 500 MW | — | — | — |
| Wabaunsee County | 7,018 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Morris County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Morris County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Morris County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc., Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc, City of Herington - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Morris County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Morris County.
Is Morris County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,588 jobs in 2025 against 1,528 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Morris County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Morris County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.