Osage County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Osage City, Ridgeway Township and Elk Township
Osage 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. Osage County is home to Osage City, Ridgeway Township, Elk Township and Burlingame Township. Construction employs 151, up 15.3% since 2019. Next door, Shawnee County has 2 data centers. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Osage City (petroleum, 2 MW, 2021). 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum.
Cities and towns in Osage County
Osage County is home to Osage City, Ridgeway Township, Elk Township and Burlingame Township.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Vassar.
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 Osage County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,747 | 15,693 | ▼ 0.3% | 32nd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,799 | 2,913 | ▲ 4.1% | 24th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $29,718 | $39,766 | ▲ 33.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 131 | 151 | ▲ 15.3% | 28th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,913 jobs in 2025, up 4.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 21 MW of capacity, 72% of it natural gas. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Osage County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 15,693 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Osage County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Osage 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 Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 244,555 | 13.13¢ | 51% |
| FreeState Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,514 | 16.41¢ | 13% |
| City of Burlingame - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Osage City - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Scranton - (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 | 15 MW | 72% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 19% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osage City | City of Osage City - (KS) | Natural gas | 15 MW | 1955 |
| Burlingame | City of Burlingame - (KS) | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1963 |
| Osage City Solar | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osage City | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Osage County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,913 | $39,766 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 151 | $47,776 | 0.98 |
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 Osage County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Osage County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Douglas County, Franklin County, Lyon County, Shawnee County.
Osage County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Osage County, Coffey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osage County | 15,693 | ▲ 4.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Coffey County | 8,467 | ▼ 5.2% | 1,527 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 120,920 | ▲ 2.3% | 540 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Franklin County | 26,299 | ▲ 8.7% | 19 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lyon County | 32,266 | ▼ 3.3% | 932 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Shawnee County | 178,607 | ▲ 6.3% | 8 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Wabaunsee County | 7,018 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Osage County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Osage County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Osage County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Evergy Metro, FreeState Electric Coop, City of Burlingame - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Osage County?
3 operating plants with 21 MW of capacity. The largest is Osage City (15 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Osage County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Osage County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shawnee County.
Is Osage County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,913 jobs in 2025 against 2,799 in 2019 (+4.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 131 to 151.
Does Osage County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Osage County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.