Riley County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Manhattan, Madison Township and Manhattan Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Riley County. Riley County is home to Manhattan, Madison Township, Manhattan Township and Ogden Township. Construction employs 1,923, up 38.8% since 2019. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Temporary data center moratorium”. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Riley County
Riley County is home to Manhattan, Madison Township, Manhattan Township and Ogden Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bala, Fort Riley, Keats, Zeandale.
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 Riley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 72,011 | 72,598 | ▲ 0.8% | 7th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29,314 | 30,406 | ▲ 3.7% | 29th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,893 | $53,972 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,385 | 1,923 | ▲ 38.8% | 14th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 30,406 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Riley County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 72,598 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020, 7th of 105 Kansas counties by population.
Who powers Riley County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Riley 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% |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riley III - Site 6 Community Solar | Onyx Asset Services Group | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Corvias - Fort Riley II | Onyx Asset Services Group | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
| Riley III - Site 12 Community Solar | Onyx Asset Services Group | Solar | 1 MW | 2025 |
The Riley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 30,406 | $53,972 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,923 | $65,485 | 1.19 |
| Data processing and hosting | 9 | $145,995 | 0.10 |
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 Riley County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Riley County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Riley County, Pottawatomie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riley County | 72,598 | ▲ 3.7% | 4 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 7,990 | ▼ 4.8% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Geary County | 36,338 | ▼ 2.5% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marshall County | 9,852 | ▼ 5.5% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Pottawatomie County | 27,186 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,188 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wabaunsee County | 7,018 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 5,533 | ▲ 0.4% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Riley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Riley County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Riley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc, Bluestem Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Manhattan, KS in?
Manhattan is in Riley County, Kansas. About 54,672 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Riley County?
3 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Riley III - Site 6 Community Solar (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Riley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Riley County.
Is Riley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 30,406 jobs in 2025 against 29,314 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,385 to 1,923.
Does Riley County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Riley County, 1 in force.