Cape Girardeau County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cape Girardeau and Jackson
The build-out shows up in Cape Girardeau County as work for the electrical trades. Electrical contractors employ 233, up 66.4% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $72,024 a year. Cape Girardeau County is home to Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Gordonville. Next door, Bollinger County has 400 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 1,862, up 12.8% since 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Cape Girardeau County
Cape Girardeau County is home to Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Gordonville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burfordville, Dutchtown, Millersville, New Wells, Shawneetown.
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 Cape Girardeau County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 81,811 | 83,999 | ▲ 2.7% | 14th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41,502 | 41,550 | ▲ 0.1% | 73rd of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,481 | $54,097 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,651 | 1,862 | ▲ 12.8% | 41st of 71 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 140 | 233 | ▲ 66.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 28 MW of capacity, 96% of it petroleum. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Cape Girardeau County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 41,550 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019. 83,999 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Cape Girardeau County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cape Girardeau 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% |
| Citizens Electric Corporation - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,826 | 15.33¢ | 5% |
| Black River Electric Coop - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,575 | 12.81¢ | 31% |
| SEMO Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,783 | 12.79¢ | 25% |
| City of Jackson - (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 | 26 MW | 96% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson (MO) | City of Jackson - (MO) | Petroleum | 26 MW | 1936 |
| Cape Girardeau Renewable Energy Center | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Cape Girardeau County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 41,550 | $54,097 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,862 | $66,810 | 0.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 233 | $72,024 | 0.78 |
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 Cape Girardeau County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cape Girardeau County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Cape Girardeau County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cape Girardeau County, Bollinger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County | 83,999 | ▲ 0.1% | 28 MW | — | — | — |
| Alexander County IL | 4,570 | ▼ 14.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Bollinger County | 10,646 | ▼ 0.6% | — | 400 MW | — | — |
| Perry County | 19,093 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 37,975 | ▲ 4.5% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Stoddard County | 28,284 | ▼ 0.1% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County IL | 16,656 | ▲ 3.5% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Cape Girardeau County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri?
5 utilities have service territory in Cape Girardeau County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Citizens Electric Corporation - (MO), Black River Electric Coop - (MO), SEMO Electric Cooperative. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cape Girardeau, MO in?
Cape Girardeau is in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. About 40,977 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Jackson, MO in?
Jackson is in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. About 16,033 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cape Girardeau County?
2 operating plants with 28 MW of capacity. The largest is Jackson (MO) (26 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Cape Girardeau County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cape Girardeau County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bollinger County.
Is Cape Girardeau County adding jobs?
Employers counted 41,550 jobs in 2025 against 41,502 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,651 to 1,862.
Does Cape Girardeau County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cape Girardeau County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.