Ottawa County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Minneapolis and Bennington Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Ottawa County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Ottawa County is home to Minneapolis, Bennington Township and Bennington. Next door, Cloud County has 202 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 9 MW of capacity, 78% of it natural gas. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Ottawa County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities.
Cities and towns in Ottawa County
Ottawa County is home to Minneapolis, Bennington Township and Bennington.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ada, Niles, Wells.
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 Ottawa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,729 | 5,744 | ▲ 0.3% | 59th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,280 | 1,274 | ▼ 0.5% | 57th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $30,849 | $41,948 | ▲ 36.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 1,274 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. 5,744 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Ottawa County
Utilities with service territory in Ottawa 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. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Minneapolis - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bluestem 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 7 MW | 78% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 22% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis City of | City of Minneapolis - (KS) | Natural gas | 9 MW | 1955 |
The Ottawa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,274 | $41,948 | 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 Ottawa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ottawa County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Saline County.
Ottawa County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ottawa County, Cloud 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County | 5,744 | ▼ 0.5% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 7,990 | ▼ 4.8% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Cloud County | 8,833 | ▲ 2.0% | 201 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,637 | ▲ 7.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 2,861 | ▼ 7.3% | 258 MW | — | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 5,590 | ▼ 1.4% | 21 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Saline County | 53,377 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kansas
Ottawa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ottawa County, Kansas?
5 utilities have service territory in Ottawa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc., Rolling Hills Electric Coop, City of Minneapolis - (KS). The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Ottawa County?
1 operating plant with 9 MW of capacity. The largest is Minneapolis City of (9 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Ottawa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ottawa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cloud County.
Is Ottawa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,274 jobs in 2025 against 1,280 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Ottawa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ottawa County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.