Sherman County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Goodland
No data center or power plant project is on record in Sherman County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Sherman County is home to Goodland. Next door, Kit Carson County, Colorado, has 753 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,334 jobs in 2025, down 3.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 19 MW of capacity, 96% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Sherman County
Sherman County is home to Goodland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Edson.
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 Sherman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,907 | 5,763 | ▼ 2.4% | 58th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,419 | 2,334 | ▼ 3.5% | 74th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,422 | $45,095 | ▲ 27.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 43 | 58 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Sherman County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 5,763 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Sherman County
Utilities with service territory in Sherman County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,273 | 14.29¢ | 28% |
| City of Goodland - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 18 MW | 96% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodland | City of Goodland - (KS) | Natural gas | 19 MW | 1939 |
The Sherman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,334 | $45,095 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 58 | $51,044 | 0.47 |
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 Sherman County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sherman County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Sherman County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Sherman County, Kit Carson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherman County | 5,763 | ▼ 3.5% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Cheyenne County | 2,604 | ▼ 1.6% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Kit Carson County CO | 7,069 | ▲ 6.4% | 1,436 MW | 753 MW | — | — |
| Logan County | 2,661 | ▲ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Rawlins County | 2,431 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Thomas County | 7,725 | ▼ 0.4% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Wallace County | 1,441 | ▼ 1.5% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Sherman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sherman County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Sherman County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, City of Goodland - (KS). The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sherman County?
1 operating plant with 19 MW of capacity. The largest is Goodland (19 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Sherman County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sherman County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Kit Carson County.
Is Sherman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,334 jobs in 2025 against 2,419 in 2019 (-3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 43 to 58.
Does Sherman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sherman County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.