Trego County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to WaKeeney Township and WaKeeney
Trego 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. Trego County is home to WaKeeney Township and WaKeeney. Employers here counted 1,027 jobs in 2025, down 17.2% from 2019. Next door, Ellis County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Trego County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities.
Cities and towns in Trego County
Trego County is home to WaKeeney Township and WaKeeney.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ogallah.
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 Trego County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,809 | 2,740 | ▼ 2.5% | 83rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,240 | 1,027 | ▼ 17.2% | 102nd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,517 | $46,466 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
2,740 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Trego County
Utilities with service territory in Trego 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% |
| Western Coop Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,799 | 14.17¢ | 79% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Trego County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Trego County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,027 | $46,466 | 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 Trego County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Trego County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Trego County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Trego County, Ellis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trego County | 2,740 | ▼ 17.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Ellis County | 29,075 | ▼ 0.8% | 308 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gove County | 2,631 | ▼ 11.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Graham County | 2,371 | ▼ 5.8% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Ness County | 2,617 | ▼ 4.1% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Rooks County | 4,646 | ▼ 2.7% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Trego County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Trego County, Kansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Trego County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Western Coop Electric Assn Inc. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Trego County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Trego County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Ellis County.
Is Trego County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,027 jobs in 2025 against 1,240 in 2019 (-17.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Trego County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Trego County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.