Reno County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hutchinson, Reno Township and South Hutchinson
Reno County is a generation frontier for Kansas. Reno County is home to Hutchinson, Reno Township, South Hutchinson and Clay Township. 765 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Evergy Kansas Central, Inc (natural gas), the 2nd largest pipeline among Kansas's counties. Construction employs 1,428, up 23.5% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Reno County
Reno County is home to Hutchinson, Reno Township, South Hutchinson and Clay Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Yoder.
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 Reno County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 61,891 | 61,539 | ▼ 0.6% | 9th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 26,693 | 26,738 | ▲ 0.2% | 51st of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,656 | $52,913 | ▲ 36.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,156 | 1,428 | ▲ 23.5% | 24th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 765 MW | 220% of today's fleet | 2nd of 10 by size |
Its power plants have 347 MW of capacity, 62% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 177, at an average $110,436 a year. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Reno County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. Employers here counted 26,738 jobs in 2025, up 0.2% from 2019. 61,539 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020, 9th of 105 Kansas counties by population.
Who powers Reno County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Reno 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 Kansas South, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 302,508 | 14.25¢ | 32% |
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| City of Haven - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sedgwick County El Coop Assn Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Sterling - (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 | 214 MW | 62% |
| Petroleum | 132 MW | 38% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson Energy Center | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Natural gas | 345 MW | 1974 |
| Huntsville-Ark Valley, KS | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
| Westar Cities Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNew Generating Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 765 MW | Approvals received | 2030 | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc |
The Reno County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,738 | $52,913 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,428 | $65,421 | 1.01 |
| Electrical contractors | 177 | $110,436 | 0.92 |
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 Reno County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Reno County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Harvey County, Kingman County, McPherson County, Sedgwick County.
Reno County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Reno County, Pratt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reno County | 61,539 | ▲ 0.2% | 347 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
| Harvey County | 33,580 | ▲ 0.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kingman County | 7,029 | ▲ 16.7% | 618 MW | — | — | 1 |
| McPherson County | 30,064 | ▲ 5.2% | 331 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pratt County | 9,117 | ▲ 1.7% | 705 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Rice County | 9,266 | ▼ 1.9% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Sedgwick County | 538,433 | ▲ 3.4% | 389 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Stafford County | 4,005 | ▼ 2.3% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Reno County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Reno County, Kansas?
9 utilities have service territory in Reno County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Southern Pioneer Electric Company. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hutchinson, KS in?
Hutchinson is in Reno County, Kansas. About 39,595 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Reno County?
3 operating plants with 347 MW of capacity. The largest is Hutchinson Energy Center (345 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Reno County?
765 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Evergy Kansas Central, Inc.
Are there data centers in Reno County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Reno County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pratt County.
Is Reno County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,738 jobs in 2025 against 26,693 in 2019 (+0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,156 to 1,428.
Does Reno County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Reno County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.