Cedar County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to El Dorado Springs and Stockton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cedar County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cedar County is home to El Dorado Springs and Stockton. Construction employs 156, up 35.7% since 2019. Next door, Dade County has 247 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 3,575 jobs in 2025, up 12.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Cedar County
Cedar County is home to El Dorado Springs and Stockton.
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 Cedar County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,210 | 14,888 | ▲ 4.8% | 68th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,166 | 3,575 | ▲ 12.9% | 13th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $28,976 | $41,404 | ▲ 42.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 115 | 156 | ▲ 35.7% | 16th of 71 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 9 | ▼ 40.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.8% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 54 MW of capacity, 95% of it hydro. Evergy Missouri West is the largest utility serving Cedar County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024. 14,888 people live here, up 4.8% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 9, down 40.0% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $58,568 a year.
Who powers Cedar County
Utilities with service territory in Cedar 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% |
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 142,537 | 14.99¢ | 37% |
| Southwest Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 41,386 | 11.99¢ | 16% |
| Barton County Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of El Dorado Springs - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 52 MW | 95% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton Hydro | USCE-Kansas City District | Hydro | 52 MW | 1973 |
| El Dorado Springs Solar Farm | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
The Cedar County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,575 | $41,404 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 156 | $59,680 | 0.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 9 | $58,568 | 0.35 |
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 Cedar County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cedar County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Cedar County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cedar County, Dade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar County | 14,888 | ▲ 12.9% | 54 MW | — | — | — |
| Barton County | 11,795 | ▲ 8.3% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
| Dade County | 7,804 | ▼ 0.2% | — | 247 MW | — | — |
| Polk County | 33,604 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Clair County | 9,976 | ▲ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Vernon County | 19,946 | ▲ 3.3% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Cedar County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cedar County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Cedar County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Missouri West, Empire District Electric Co, Southwest Electric Coop, Inc, Barton County Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Evergy Missouri West, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cedar County?
2 operating plants with 54 MW of capacity. The largest is Stockton Hydro (52 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Cedar County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cedar County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dade County.
Is Cedar County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,575 jobs in 2025 against 3,166 in 2019 (+12.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 115 to 156.
Does Cedar County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cedar County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.