Wabaunsee County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alma Township, Maple Hill Township and Newbury Township
Wabaunsee 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. Wabaunsee County is home to Alma Township, Maple Hill Township, Newbury Township and Alma. Construction employs 128, down 10.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Shawnee County has 2 data centers. Employers here counted 1,399 jobs in 2025, up 4.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Wabaunsee County
Wabaunsee County is home to Alma Township, Maple Hill Township, Newbury Township and Alma.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Newbury, Wabaunsee.
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 Wabaunsee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,895 | 7,018 | ▲ 1.8% | 53rd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,341 | 1,399 | ▲ 4.3% | 23rd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,156 | $43,836 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 143 | 128 | ▼ 10.5% | 46th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.1% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Wabaunsee County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 7,018 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Wabaunsee County
Utilities with service territory in Wabaunsee County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 341,806 | 14.29¢ | 44% |
| FreeState Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,514 | 16.41¢ | 13% |
| City of Alma - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bluestem Electric Coop 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.
No operating power plant is located in Wabaunsee County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wabaunsee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,399 | $43,836 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 128 | $49,852 | 1.73 |
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 Wabaunsee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wabaunsee County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 5 neighboring counties have one: Geary County, Lyon County, Pottawatomie County, Riley County.
Wabaunsee County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wabaunsee County, Pottawatomie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wabaunsee County | 7,018 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Geary County | 36,338 | ▼ 2.5% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lyon County | 32,266 | ▼ 3.3% | 932 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Morris County | 5,348 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Osage County | 15,693 | ▲ 4.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Pottawatomie County | 27,186 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,188 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Riley County | 72,598 | ▲ 3.7% | 4 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Shawnee County | 178,607 | ▲ 6.3% | 8 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Kansas
Wabaunsee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wabaunsee County, Kansas?
5 utilities have service territory in Wabaunsee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, FreeState Electric Coop, City of Alma - (KS), Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Wabaunsee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wabaunsee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shawnee County.
Is Wabaunsee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,399 jobs in 2025 against 1,341 in 2019 (+4.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 143 to 128.
Does Wabaunsee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wabaunsee County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.