Seward County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Liberal and Fargo Township
Seward 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. Seward County is home to Liberal, Fargo Township and Liberal Township. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 11,033 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 68 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Southern Pioneer Electric Company is the largest utility serving Seward County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.86¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities.
Cities and towns in Seward County
Seward County is home to Liberal, Fargo Township and Liberal 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 Seward County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,857 | 21,073 | ▼ 3.6% | 26th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,644 | 11,033 | ▲ 3.7% | 31st of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,842 | $51,492 | ▲ 20.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
21,073 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Seward County
Utilities with service territory in Seward County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,031 | 11.19¢ | 34% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,079 | 16.23¢ | 50% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 68 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cimarron River | Sunflower Electric Power Corp | Natural gas | 65 MW | 1963 |
| Arkalon Ethanol LLC | Arkalon Ethanol LLC | Natural gas | 3 MW | 2008 |
The Seward County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,033 | $51,492 | 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 Seward County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Seward County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Seward County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Seward County, Beaver 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seward County | 21,073 | ▲ 3.7% | 68 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaver County OK | 4,882 | ▼ 20.6% | 798 MW | — | — | — |
| Haskell County | 3,599 | ▲ 3.8% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Meade County | 3,852 | ▲ 1.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Stevens County | 4,984 | ▲ 15.6% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Texas County OK | 20,322 | ▲ 2.8% | 201 MW | 102 MW | — | — |
More of Kansas
Seward County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Seward County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Seward County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Pioneer Electric Company, Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS), CMS Electric Coop Inc, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (OK). The largest, Southern Pioneer Electric Company, charged residential customers 15.86¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Liberal, KS in?
Liberal is in Seward County, Kansas. About 19,010 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Seward County?
2 operating plants with 68 MW of capacity. The largest is Cimarron River (65 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Seward County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Seward County.
Is Seward County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,033 jobs in 2025 against 10,644 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Seward County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Seward County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.