Chariton County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Salisbury Township, Salisbury and Brunswick Township
Chariton 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. Chariton County is home to Salisbury Township, Salisbury, Brunswick Township and Keytesville Township. Next door, Randolph County has 1 data center. Construction employs 106, up 11.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Chariton County
Chariton County is home to Salisbury Township, Salisbury, Brunswick Township and Keytesville Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Prairie Hill.
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 Chariton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,386 | 7,377 | ▼ 0.1% | 100th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,832 | 1,817 | ▼ 0.8% | 81st of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,438 | $44,634 | ▲ 37.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 95 | 106 | ▲ 11.6% | 47th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Chariton County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 1,817 jobs in 2025, down 0.8% from 2019. 7,377 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Chariton County
Utilities with service territory in Chariton 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% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 273,860 | 13.72¢ | 51% |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,451 | 13.35¢ | 14% |
| Macon Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,023 | 14.82¢ | 16% |
| Howard Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Salisbury - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury City of | City of Salisbury - (MO) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1983 |
The Chariton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,817 | $44,634 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 106 | $45,663 | 1.10 |
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 Chariton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chariton County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Chariton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Chariton County, Randolph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chariton County | 7,377 | ▼ 0.8% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 8,417 | ▲ 5.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 10,180 | ▼ 0.5% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Linn County | 11,815 | ▲ 6.4% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Livingston County | 14,708 | ▼ 2.5% | 92 MW | — | — | — |
| Macon County | 15,190 | ▼ 3.7% | 17 MW | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 24,513 | ▼ 2.6% | 1,242 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Saline County | 23,265 | ▲ 1.6% | 34 MW | 122 MW | — | — |
More of Missouri
Chariton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chariton County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Chariton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Evergy Metro, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (MO), Macon Electric Coop. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chariton County?
1 operating plant with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Salisbury City of (6 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Chariton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chariton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Randolph County.
Is Chariton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,817 jobs in 2025 against 1,832 in 2019 (-0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 95 to 106.
Does Chariton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chariton County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.