Stafford County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. John and Stafford Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Stafford County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Stafford County is home to St. John, Stafford Township, St. John Township and Stafford. Next door, Reno County has 765 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Its power plants have 12 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Stafford County
Stafford County is home to St. John, Stafford Township, St. John Township and Stafford.
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 Stafford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,060 | 4,005 | ▼ 1.4% | 72nd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,242 | 1,213 | ▼ 2.3% | 68th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,128 | $44,411 | ▲ 34.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 1,213 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Stafford County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 4,005 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Stafford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Stafford 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% |
| Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of St. John - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Stafford - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Radium - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St John | City of St. John - (KS) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1965 |
| Stafford | City of Stafford - (KS) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1973 |
The Stafford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,213 | $44,411 | 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 Stafford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stafford County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Stafford County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Stafford County, Reno 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford County | 4,005 | ▼ 2.3% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Barton County | 24,790 | ▼ 6.2% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Edwards County | 2,640 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Pawnee County | 5,991 | ▼ 5.2% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Pratt County | 9,117 | ▲ 1.7% | 705 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Reno County | 61,539 | ▲ 0.2% | 347 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
| Rice County | 9,266 | ▼ 1.9% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Stafford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stafford County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Stafford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc, City of St. John - (KS), City of Stafford - (KS). The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Stafford County?
2 operating plants with 12 MW of capacity. The largest is St John (7 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Stafford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stafford County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Reno County.
Is Stafford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,213 jobs in 2025 against 1,242 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Stafford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stafford County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.