Clark County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kahoka
Clark 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. Clark County is home to Kahoka. Employers here counted 1,383 jobs in 2025, down 4.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 57% of it petroleum. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Clark County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Clark County
Clark County is home to Kahoka.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Medill, St. Francisville.
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 Clark County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,664 | 6,475 | ▼ 2.8% | 102nd of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,447 | 1,383 | ▼ 4.4% | 96th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $27,595 | $37,644 | ▲ 36.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 56 | ▲ 100.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
6,475 people live here, down 2.8% since 2020.
Who powers Clark County
Utilities with service territory in Clark 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% |
| City of Kahoka | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lewis County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tri-County Electric Coop Assn (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 | 4 MW | 57% |
| Natural gas | 3 MW | 43% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahoka | City of Kahoka - (MO) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1941 |
The Clark County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,383 | $37,644 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 56 | $47,742 | 0.76 |
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 Clark County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clark County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Clark County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clark County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 6,475 | ▼ 4.4% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County IL | 16,803 | ▲ 4.6% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
| Knox County | 3,728 | ▼ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Lee County IA | 32,306 | ▼ 11.2% | 458 MW | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 9,879 | ▼ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Scotland County | 4,796 | ▲ 11.9% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Buren County IA | 7,131 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Clark County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clark County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Clark County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), City of Kahoka, Lewis County Rural E C A, Tri-County Electric Coop Assn (MO). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clark County?
1 operating plant with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Kahoka (7 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Clark County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clark County.
Is Clark County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,383 jobs in 2025 against 1,447 in 2019 (-4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 28 to 56.
Does Clark County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clark County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.