Carter County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fremont and Hunter
No data center or power plant project is on record in Carter County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Carter County is home to Van Buren. Employers here counted 1,448 jobs in 2025, down 5.7% from 2019. Ozark Border Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Carter County. Its residential customers paid an average 11.66¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities. 5,418 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Carter County
Carter County is home to Van Buren.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fremont, Hunter.
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 Carter County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,201 | 5,418 | ▲ 4.2% | 107th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,535 | 1,448 | ▼ 5.7% | 101st of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $27,175 | $37,585 | ▲ 38.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 5.0% | ● 0.0pts | — |
Who powers Carter County
Utilities with service territory in Carter County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozark Border Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,229 | 11.66¢ | 23% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Carter County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Carter County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,448 | $37,585 | 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 Carter County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carter County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Carter County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Carter County, Reynolds 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 5,418 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 41,904 | ▼ 0.2% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Oregon County | 8,709 | ▲ 11.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Reynolds County | 5,992 | ▼ 12.8% | 408 MW | — | — | — |
| Ripley County | 10,717 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Shannon County | 7,285 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,782 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Carter County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carter County, Missouri?
1 utility has service territory in Carter County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ozark Border Electric Coop. The largest, Ozark Border Electric Coop, charged residential customers 11.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Carter County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carter County.
Is Carter County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,448 jobs in 2025 against 1,535 in 2019 (-5.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Carter County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carter County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.