Shawnee County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Topeka, Soldier Township and Mission Township
Shawnee County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Shawnee County, 10% of Kansas's total. Shawnee County is home to Topeka, Soldier Township, Mission Township and Tecumseh Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through February 17, 2027”. Electrical contractors employ 768, up 31.5% since 2019 against up 23.4% statewide, at an average $86,078 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Shawnee County
Shawnee County is home to Topeka, Soldier Township, Mission Township and Tecumseh Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Tecumseh, Wakarusa.
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 Shawnee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 178,699 | 178,607 | ▼ 0.1% | 3rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 96,381 | 102,421 | ▲ 6.3% | 15th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,480 | $63,443 | ▲ 36.5% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 584 | 768 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 385 | 168 | ▼ 56.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 102,421 jobs in 2025, up 6.3% from 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 68% of it other technologies. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Shawnee County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 178,607 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020, 3rd of 105 Kansas counties by population.
Who powers Shawnee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Shawnee 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% |
| FreeState Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,514 | 16.41¢ | 13% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 68% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 32% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management Rolling Meadows LFGTE | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2010 |
| FreeState Crooked Post Solar I | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| FreeState Kiro Solar I | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Shawnee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 102,421 | $63,443 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 768 | $86,078 | 1.04 |
| Data processing and hosting | 168 | $136,066 | 0.53 |
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 Shawnee County
2 data centers in Shawnee County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through February 17, 2027 | In force | 2026-08 |
Shawnee County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Shawnee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee County | 178,607 | ▲ 6.3% | 8 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Douglas County | 120,920 | ▲ 2.3% | 540 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County | 13,438 | ▲ 6.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 18,296 | ▲ 3.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Osage County | 15,693 | ▲ 4.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Pottawatomie County | 27,186 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,188 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wabaunsee County | 7,018 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Shawnee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shawnee County, Kansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Shawnee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, FreeState Electric Coop. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Topeka, KS in?
Topeka is in Shawnee County, Kansas. About 125,795 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Soldier Township, KS in?
Soldier Township is in Shawnee County, Kansas. About 15,282 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Mission Township, KS in?
Mission Township is in Shawnee County, Kansas. About 10,195 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Shawnee County?
3 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Waste Management Rolling Meadows LFGTE (6 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Shawnee County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Shawnee County.
Is Shawnee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 102,421 jobs in 2025 against 96,381 in 2019 (+6.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Shawnee County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Shawnee County, 1 in force.