Cole County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jefferson City, Wardsville and St. Martins
Cole County has more of its workforce in data processing and hosting than the country as a whole. Cole County is home to Jefferson City, Wardsville, St. Martins and Taos. Construction employs 3,213, up 33.7% since 2019. Next door, Callaway County has 266 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Its power plants have 132 MW of capacity, 98% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Cole County
Cole County is home to Jefferson City, Wardsville, St. Martins and Taos.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eugene.
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 Cole County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 76,608 | 77,908 | ▲ 1.7% | 16th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 53,392 | 54,542 | ▲ 2.2% | 56th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,084 | $59,511 | ▲ 38.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,404 | 3,213 | ▲ 33.7% | 18th of 71 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 224 | 237 | ▲ 5.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 438 | 427 | ▼ 2.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 54,542 jobs in 2025, up 2.2% from 2019. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Cole County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 77,908 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Cole County
Utilities with service territory in Cole 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% |
| Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,119 | 15.18¢ | 14% |
| Three Rivers Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,561 | 12.47¢ | 18% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 129 MW | 98% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairgrounds | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Petroleum | 68 MW | 1974 |
| Moreau | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Petroleum | 61 MW | 1978 |
| Ameresco Jefferson City | AMERESCO Jefferson City LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2009 |
The Cole County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 54,542 | $59,511 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,213 | $78,343 | 1.11 |
| Electric utilities | 237 | $117,379 | 1.61 |
| Data processing and hosting | 427 | $61,890 | 2.52 |
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 Cole County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cole County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Cole County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cole County, Callaway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole County | 77,908 | ▲ 2.2% | 132 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 191,746 | ▲ 5.9% | 321 MW | 9 MW | 2 | — |
| Callaway County | 45,765 | ▲ 1.1% | 1,269 MW | 266 MW | — | — |
| Miller County | 25,817 | ▲ 7.3% | 208 MW | — | — | — |
| Moniteau County | 15,428 | ▼ 4.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Osage County | 13,611 | ▲ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Cole County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cole County, Missouri?
3 utilities have service territory in Cole County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc, Three Rivers Electric Coop. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Jefferson City, MO in?
Jefferson City is in Cole County, Missouri. About 42,467 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cole County?
3 operating plants with 132 MW of capacity. The largest is Fairgrounds (68 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Cole County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cole County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Callaway County.
Is Cole County adding jobs?
Employers counted 54,542 jobs in 2025 against 53,392 in 2019 (+2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,404 to 3,213.
Does Cole County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cole County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.