Pawnee County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Larned
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pawnee County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pawnee County is home to Larned and Pawnee Township. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,590 jobs in 2025, down 5.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 16 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Pawnee County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities.
Cities and towns in Pawnee County
Pawnee County is home to Larned and Pawnee Township.
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 Pawnee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,251 | 5,991 | ▼ 4.2% | 56th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,731 | 2,590 | ▼ 5.2% | 82nd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,051 | $53,208 | ▲ 39.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
5,991 people live here, down 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Pawnee County
Utilities with service territory in Pawnee County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| City of Larned - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ninnescah Rural E C A 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 16 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larned | City of Larned - (KS) | Petroleum | 16 MW | 1976 |
The Pawnee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,590 | $53,208 | 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 Pawnee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pawnee County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Pawnee County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pawnee County, Ness 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee County | 5,991 | ▼ 5.2% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Barton County | 24,790 | ▼ 6.2% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Edwards County | 2,640 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Hodgeman County | 1,619 | ▲ 3.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Ness County | 2,617 | ▼ 4.1% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Rush County | 2,845 | ▼ 3.9% | 58 MW | — | — | — |
| Stafford County | 4,005 | ▼ 2.3% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Pawnee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pawnee County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Pawnee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), City of Larned - (KS), Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pawnee County?
1 operating plant with 16 MW of capacity. The largest is Larned (16 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Pawnee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pawnee County.
Is Pawnee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,590 jobs in 2025 against 2,731 in 2019 (-5.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pawnee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pawnee County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.