Camden County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Osage Beach, Camdenton and Village of Four Seasons
Camden 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. Camden County is home to most of Osage Beach (4,666 of its 5,079 residents), Camdenton and Village of Four Seasons. Construction employs 1,356, up 19.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 17,781 jobs in 2025, up 8.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Camden County
Camden County is home to most of Osage Beach (4,666 of its 5,079 residents), Camdenton and Village of Four Seasons.
- Osage Beach also extends into Miller County.
- Richland also extends into Pulaski County.
- Lake Ozark also extends into Miller County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Climax Springs, Macks Creek, Montreal.
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 Camden County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,804 | 44,047 | ▲ 2.9% | 26th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,440 | 17,781 | ▲ 8.2% | 27th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,767 | $48,255 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,131 | 1,356 | ▲ 19.9% | 35th of 71 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57 | 86 | ▲ 50.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Camden County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 44,047 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Camden County
Utilities with service territory in Camden 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% |
| Southwest Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 41,386 | 11.99¢ | 16% |
| Laclede Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,026 | 11.73¢ | 18% |
| Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,119 | 15.18¢ | 14% |
| Gascosage Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,253 | 12.30¢ | 13% |
| City of Richland - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 3 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niangua | Sho-Me Power Electric Coop | Hydro | 3 MW | 1930 |
The Camden County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,781 | $48,255 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,356 | $70,420 | 1.44 |
| Electric utilities | 86 | $89,398 | 1.79 |
| Data processing and hosting | 51 | $69,436 | 0.92 |
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 Camden County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Camden County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Camden County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Camden County, Miller 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden County | 44,047 | ▲ 8.2% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 20,536 | ▲ 9.3% | 161 MW | — | — | — |
| Dallas County | 18,025 | ▲ 15.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Hickory County | 9,044 | ▲ 20.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Laclede County | 36,943 | ▼ 6.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Miller County | 25,817 | ▲ 7.3% | 208 MW | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 22,418 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 54,442 | ▲ 0.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Camden County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Camden County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Camden County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Southwest Electric Coop, Inc, Laclede Electric Coop, Inc, Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Camden County?
1 operating plant with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Niangua (3 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Camden County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Camden County.
Is Camden County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,781 jobs in 2025 against 16,440 in 2019 (+8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,131 to 1,356.
Does Camden County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Camden County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.