Audrain County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mexico and Vandalia
Audrain County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Audrain County is home to Mexico, Vandalia and Laddonia. Construction employs 296, up 26.0% since 2019. Next door, Callaway County has 266 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 7,910 jobs in 2025, down 10.7% from 2019. 330 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Audrain County
Audrain County is home to Mexico, Vandalia and Laddonia.
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 Audrain County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,778 | 24,528 | ▼ 1.0% | 44th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,855 | 7,910 | ▼ 10.7% | 109th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,307 | $50,122 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 235 | 296 | ▲ 26.0% | 28th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 330 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1,218 MW of capacity, 68% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Missouri. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Audrain County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 24,528 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Audrain County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +330 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Audrain County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Electric Co - (MO) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,095,619 | 12.56¢ | 44% |
| Boone Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,806 | 13.40¢ | 17% |
| Callaway Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,647 | 16.29¢ | 22% |
| Consolidated Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,649 | 12.96¢ | 13% |
| Ralls County Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Vandalia - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 828 MW | 68% |
| Solar | 330 MW | 27% |
| Petroleum | 61 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audrain Generating Station | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Natural gas | 814 MW | 2001 |
| Huck Finn Renewable Energy Center | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Solar | 200 MW | 2024 |
| Mexico | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Petroleum | 61 MW | 1978 |
| Envoy Solar, LLC | Birch Creek Power, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2025 |
| Vandalia Renewable Energy Center | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Solar | 50 MW | 2025 |
| Altona Solar, LLC | Birch Creek Power, LLC | Solar | 30 MW | 2024 |
The Audrain County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,910 | $50,122 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 296 | $60,115 | 0.71 |
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 Audrain County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Audrain County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Ralls County.
Audrain County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Audrain County, Callaway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audrain County | 24,528 | ▼ 10.7% | 1,218 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 191,746 | ▲ 5.9% | 321 MW | 9 MW | 2 | — |
| Callaway County | 45,765 | ▲ 1.1% | 1,269 MW | 266 MW | — | — |
| Monroe County | 8,959 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 11,590 | ▲ 9.0% | 6 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Pike County | 17,955 | ▼ 2.0% | 290 MW | — | — | — |
| Ralls County | 10,444 | ▲ 2.1% | 58 MW | 66 MW | — | 1 |
| Randolph County | 24,513 | ▼ 2.6% | 1,242 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Missouri
Audrain County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Audrain County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Audrain County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Boone Electric Coop, Callaway Electric Cooperative, Consolidated Electric Coop. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Mexico, MO in?
Mexico is in Audrain County, Missouri. About 11,558 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Audrain County?
7 operating plants with 1,218 MW of capacity. The largest is Audrain Generating Station (814 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Audrain County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Audrain County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Callaway County.
Is Audrain County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,910 jobs in 2025 against 8,855 in 2019 (-10.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 235 to 296.
Does Audrain County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Audrain County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.