Bates County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mount Pleasant Township, Butler and Deer Creek Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bates County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 262, up 55.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Bates County is home to Mount Pleasant Township, Butler, Deer Creek Township and Adrian. Next door, Henry County has 400 MW of planned generation. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Butler Municipal Power Plant (petroleum, 1 MW, 2020). Employers here counted 3,747 jobs in 2025, up 4.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bates County
Bates County is home to Mount Pleasant Township, Butler, Deer Creek Township and Adrian.
And 10 smaller places.
- Drexel also extends into Cass County.
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 Bates County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,052 | 16,512 | ▲ 2.9% | 64th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,603 | 3,747 | ▲ 4.0% | 44th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,467 | $44,613 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 169 | 262 | ▲ 55.0% | 7th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Its power plants have 14 MW of capacity, 80% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. Evergy Missouri West is the largest utility serving Bates County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024. 16,512 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Bates County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bates 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% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 273,860 | 13.72¢ | 51% |
| Osage Valley Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,945 | 14.00¢ | 12% |
| City of Butler - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 11 MW | 80% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 20% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler Municipal Power Plant | City of Butler - (MO) | Petroleum | 11 MW | 1959 |
| Butler Solar Power Project | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. | Solar | 3 MW | 2014 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler Municipal Power Plant | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Bates County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,747 | $44,613 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 262 | $54,371 | 1.32 |
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 Bates County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bates County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Miami County.
Bates County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bates County, Henry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates County | 16,512 | ▲ 4.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 115,859 | ▲ 16.3% | 1,095 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 22,671 | ▲ 14.4% | — | 400 MW | — | — |
| Linn County KS | 9,950 | ▲ 7.6% | 1,599 MW | — | — | — |
| Miami County KS | 36,240 | ▲ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | 1 |
| St. Clair County | 9,976 | ▲ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Vernon County | 19,946 | ▲ 3.3% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Bates County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bates County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Bates County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Missouri West, Evergy Metro, Osage Valley Elec Coop Assn, City of Butler - (MO). The largest, Evergy Missouri West, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bates County?
2 operating plants with 14 MW of capacity. The largest is Butler Municipal Power Plant (11 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Bates County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bates County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Henry County.
Is Bates County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,747 jobs in 2025 against 3,603 in 2019 (+4.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 169 to 262.
Does Bates County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bates County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.