Stanton County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Johnson City
Stanton 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. Stanton County is home to Johnson City. Employers here counted 680 jobs in 2025, down 19.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 26 MW of capacity, 77% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Stanton County
Stanton County is home to Johnson City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Bow.
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 Stanton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,079 | 1,986 | ▼ 4.5% | 99th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 839 | 680 | ▼ 19.0% | 103rd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,252 | $47,057 | ▲ 8.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Stanton County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.19¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 1,986 people live here, down 4.5% since 2020.
Who powers Stanton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Stanton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,031 | 11.19¢ | 34% |
| City of Johnson - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 20 MW | 77% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 23% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Corner Solar 1 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2020 |
| Johnson | City of Johnson - (KS) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2017 |
The Stanton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 680 | $47,057 | 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 Stanton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stanton County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Stanton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Stanton County, Prowers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanton County | 1,986 | ▼ 19.0% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Baca County CO | 3,347 | ▲ 4.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,028 | ▼ 5.0% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 2,500 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Kearny County | 3,888 | ▲ 12.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Morton County | 2,470 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Prowers County CO | 11,884 | ▲ 2.8% | 248 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Stevens County | 4,984 | ▲ 15.6% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Stanton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stanton County, Kansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Stanton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS), City of Johnson - (KS). The largest, Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Stanton County?
2 operating plants with 26 MW of capacity. The largest is Johnson Corner Solar 1 (20 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Stanton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stanton County.
Is Stanton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 680 jobs in 2025 against 839 in 2019 (-19.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Stanton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stanton County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.