Benton County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Warsaw, Lincoln and Cole Camp
No data center or power plant project is on record in Benton County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Benton County is home to Warsaw, Lincoln and Cole Camp. Next door, Henry County has 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 3,818 jobs in 2025, up 9.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 161 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Evergy Missouri West is the largest utility serving Benton County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Benton County
Benton County is home to Warsaw, Lincoln and Cole Camp.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bent Tree Harbor, White Branch.
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 Benton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,431 | 20,536 | ▲ 5.7% | 54th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,493 | 3,818 | ▲ 9.3% | 23rd of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $30,647 | $40,027 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.9% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
20,536 people live here, up 5.7% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Who powers Benton County
Utilities with service territory in Benton 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% |
| Southwest Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 41,386 | 11.99¢ | 16% |
| Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,119 | 15.18¢ | 14% |
| Osage Valley Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,945 | 14.00¢ | 12% |
| Central Missouri Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,167 | 12.51¢ | 10% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 161 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Truman | USCE-Kansas City District | Hydro | 161 MW | 1979 |
The Benton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,818 | $40,027 | 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 Benton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Benton County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Benton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Benton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 20,536 | ▲ 9.3% | 161 MW | — | — | — |
| Camden County | 44,047 | ▲ 8.2% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 22,671 | ▲ 14.4% | — | 400 MW | — | — |
| Hickory County | 9,044 | ▲ 20.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 22,418 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Pettis County | 44,254 | ▲ 0.4% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Clair County | 9,976 | ▲ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Benton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Benton County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Benton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Missouri West, Southwest Electric Coop, Inc, Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc, Osage Valley Elec Coop Assn. The largest, Evergy Missouri West, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Benton County?
1 operating plant with 161 MW of capacity. The largest is Harry Truman (161 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Benton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Benton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Henry County.
Is Benton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,818 jobs in 2025 against 3,493 in 2019 (+9.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Benton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Benton County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.