Rawlins County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Atwood Township and Atwood
Rawlins 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. Rawlins County is home to Atwood Township and Atwood. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 992 jobs in 2025, up 5.0% from 2019. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Rawlins 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. 2,431 people live here, down 5.3% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Rawlins County
Rawlins County is home to Atwood Township and Atwood.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ludell.
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 Rawlins County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,567 | 2,431 | ▼ 5.3% | 95th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 945 | 992 | ▲ 5.0% | 21st of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,599 | $47,441 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57 | 51 | ▼ 10.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
Who powers Rawlins County
Utilities with service territory in Rawlins 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% |
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,273 | 14.29¢ | 28% |
| City of Herndon | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Rawlins County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Rawlins County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 992 | $47,441 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 51 | $73,165 | 0.97 |
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 Rawlins County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rawlins County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Dundy County.
Rawlins County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Rawlins County, Thomas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rawlins County | 2,431 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Cheyenne County | 2,604 | ▼ 1.6% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Decatur County | 2,716 | ▼ 10.5% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Dundy County NE | 1,568 | ▲ 15.0% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hitchcock County NE | 2,467 | ▼ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Red Willow County NE | 10,307 | ▼ 2.4% | 57 MW | — | — | — |
| Sherman County | 5,763 | ▼ 3.5% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Thomas County | 7,725 | ▼ 0.4% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Rawlins County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rawlins County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Rawlins County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, City of Herndon. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Rawlins County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rawlins County.
Is Rawlins County adding jobs?
Employers counted 992 jobs in 2025 against 945 in 2019 (+5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 57 to 51.
Does Rawlins County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rawlins County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.