Saline County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Salina
Saline County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Saline County is home to Salina, Elm Creek Township, Smoky View Township and Greeley Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Three-year moratorium on data centers and energy facilities”. Electrical contractors employ 121, up 13.1% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $55,952 a year. Construction employs 1,245, up 4.1% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Saline County
Saline County is home to Salina, Elm Creek Township, Smoky View Township and Greeley Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bavaria, Bridgeport, Falun, Kipp, Mentor.
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 Saline County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 54,260 | 53,377 | ▼ 1.6% | 10th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 30,039 | 30,369 | ▲ 1.1% | 47th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,811 | $52,231 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,196 | 1,245 | ▲ 4.1% | 35th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 107 | 121 | ▲ 13.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Saline 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. Employers here counted 30,369 jobs in 2025, up 1.1% from 2019. 53,377 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020, 10th of 105 Kansas counties by population.
Who powers Saline County
Utilities with service territory in Saline 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% |
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ark Valley Elec Coop Assn, 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.
No operating power plant is located in Saline County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Saline County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 30,369 | $52,231 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,245 | $65,101 | 0.77 |
| Electrical contractors | 121 | $55,952 | 0.55 |
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 Saline County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-year moratorium on data centers and energy facilities | In force | 2026-03 |
Saline County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Saline County, Marion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County | 53,377 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Dickinson County | 18,637 | ▲ 7.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Ellsworth County | 6,257 | ▼ 2.0% | 201 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 2,861 | ▼ 7.3% | 258 MW | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 11,634 | ▲ 1.0% | 500 MW | — | — | — |
| McPherson County | 30,064 | ▲ 5.2% | 331 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ottawa County | 5,744 | ▼ 0.5% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Saline County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Saline County, Kansas?
5 utilities have service territory in Saline County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc., Rolling Hills Electric Coop. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Salina, KS in?
Salina is in Saline County, Kansas. About 46,094 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Saline County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Saline County.
Is Saline County adding jobs?
Employers counted 30,369 jobs in 2025 against 30,039 in 2019 (+1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,196 to 1,245.
Does Saline County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Saline County, 1 in force.