Butler County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Poplar Bluff
Butler 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. Butler County is home to Poplar Bluff. Electrical contractors employ 26, up 36.8% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $49,343 a year. Its power plants have 34 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Butler County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Butler County
Butler County is home to Poplar Bluff.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Broseley, Fairdealing, Harviell.
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 Butler County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,064 | 41,904 | ▼ 0.4% | 28th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,991 | 17,959 | ▼ 0.2% | 76th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,184 | $49,035 | ▲ 39.4% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 26 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 17,959 jobs in 2025, down 0.2% from 2019. 41,904 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Butler County
Utilities with service territory in Butler 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% |
| Ozark Border Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,229 | 11.66¢ | 23% |
| City of Poplar Bluff - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,715 | 11.18¢ | 48% |
| Clay County Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 48 | 14.58¢ | 22% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 34 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar Bluff Generating Station | City of Poplar Bluff - (MO) | Natural gas | 34 MW | 1976 |
The Butler County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,959 | $49,035 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $49,343 | 0.20 |
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 Butler County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Butler County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Butler County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Butler County, Dunklin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 41,904 | ▼ 0.2% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Carter County | 5,418 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County AR | 14,052 | ▼ 3.8% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Dunklin County | 26,855 | ▲ 1.8% | 559 MW | — | — | — |
| Ripley County | 10,717 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Stoddard County | 28,284 | ▼ 0.1% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,782 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Butler County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Butler County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Butler County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Ozark Border Electric Coop, City of Poplar Bluff - (MO), Clay County Electric Coop Corp - (AR). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Poplar Bluff, MO in?
Poplar Bluff is in Butler County, Missouri. About 16,295 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Butler County?
1 operating plant with 34 MW of capacity. The largest is Poplar Bluff Generating Station (34 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Butler County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Butler County.
Is Butler County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,959 jobs in 2025 against 17,991 in 2019 (-0.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Butler County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Butler County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.