Barton County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lamar and Lamar Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Barton County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Barton County is home to Lamar, Lamar Township, Golden City Township and Ozark Township. Construction employs 248, up 37.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Dade County has 247 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 3,502 jobs in 2025, up 8.3% from 2019. 149 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Barton County
Barton County is home to Lamar, Lamar Township, Golden City Township and Ozark Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burgess, Iantha, Irwin.
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 Barton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,624 | 11,795 | ▲ 1.5% | 78th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,233 | 3,502 | ▲ 8.3% | 26th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,402 | $45,491 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 181 | 248 | ▲ 37.0% | 15th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 149 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 149 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Evergy Missouri West is the largest utility serving Barton County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 11,795 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Barton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +149 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Barton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Missouri West | Investor Owned | Bundled | 305,583 | 12.55¢ | 42% |
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 142,537 | 14.99¢ | 37% |
| Barton County Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lamar - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Liberal - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Mindenmines - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sac-Osage 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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 149 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Fork Ridge Wind Energy Center | Empire District Electric Co | Wind | 149 MW | 2020 |
The Barton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,502 | $45,491 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 248 | $52,675 | 1.34 |
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 Barton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Barton County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Barton County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Barton County, Jasper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton County | 11,795 | ▲ 8.3% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
| Cedar County | 14,888 | ▲ 12.9% | 54 MW | — | — | — |
| Crawford County KS | 39,008 | ▼ 0.2% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Dade County | 7,804 | ▼ 0.2% | — | 247 MW | — | — |
| Jasper County | 127,428 | ▼ 2.5% | 1,114 MW | 109 MW | 1 | — |
| Vernon County | 19,946 | ▲ 3.3% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Barton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Barton County, Missouri?
7 utilities have service territory in Barton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Missouri West, Empire District Electric Co, Barton County Elec Coop, Inc, City of Lamar - (MO). The largest, Evergy Missouri West, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Barton County?
1 operating plant with 149 MW of capacity. The largest is North Fork Ridge Wind Energy Center (149 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Barton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Barton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dade County.
Is Barton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,502 jobs in 2025 against 3,233 in 2019 (+8.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 181 to 248.
Does Barton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Barton County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.