Stevens County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hugoton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Stevens County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Stevens County is home to Hugoton. Employers here counted 2,137 jobs in 2025, up 15.6% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 105 Kansas counties). 22 MW has retired here since 2019, including Synata Hugoton (natural gas, 22 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 19 MW of capacity, 96% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Stevens County
Stevens County is home to Hugoton.
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 Stevens County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,242 | 4,984 | ▼ 4.9% | 66th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,849 | 2,137 | ▲ 15.6% | 3rd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,149 | $54,554 | ▲ 39.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 72 | 51 | ▼ 29.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 22 MW | — |
Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Stevens County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.19¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 4,984 people live here, down 4.9% since 2020.
Who powers Stevens County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −22 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Stevens 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% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
| City of Hugoton - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 18 MW | 96% |
| Natural gas | 1 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugoton 2 | City of Hugoton - (KS) | Petroleum | 19 MW | 1964 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synata Hugoton | Natural gas | 22 MW | 2019 |
The Stevens County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,137 | $54,554 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 51 | $51,213 | 0.45 |
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 Stevens County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stevens County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Stevens County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Stevens County, Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens County | 4,984 | ▲ 15.6% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,028 | ▼ 5.0% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Haskell County | 3,599 | ▲ 3.8% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Morton County | 2,470 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Seward County | 21,073 | ▲ 3.7% | 68 MW | — | — | — |
| Stanton County | 1,986 | ▼ 19.0% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Texas County OK | 20,322 | ▲ 2.8% | 201 MW | 102 MW | — | — |
More of Kansas
Stevens County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stevens County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Stevens County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS), CMS Electric Coop Inc, City of Hugoton - (KS). The largest, Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Stevens County?
1 operating plant with 19 MW of capacity. The largest is Hugoton 2 (19 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Stevens County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stevens County.
Is Stevens County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,137 jobs in 2025 against 1,849 in 2019 (+15.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 72 to 51.
Does Stevens County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stevens County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.