Dallas County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Buffalo
Dallas 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. Dallas County is home to Buffalo. Employers here counted 2,849 jobs in 2025, up 15.5% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 115 Missouri counties). Next door, Greene County has 2 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 16, at an average $61,478 a year. Empire District Electric Co is the largest utility serving Dallas County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.99¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities.
Cities and towns in Dallas County
Dallas County is home to Buffalo.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bennett Springs.
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 Dallas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,133 | 18,025 | ▲ 5.2% | 61st of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,466 | 2,849 | ▲ 15.5% | 8th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $27,867 | $37,783 | ▲ 35.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 4.4% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
18,025 people live here, up 5.2% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019.
Who powers Dallas County
Utilities with service territory in Dallas County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 142,537 | 14.99¢ | 37% |
| Southwest Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 41,386 | 11.99¢ | 16% |
| Laclede Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,026 | 11.73¢ | 18% |
| Webster Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,820 | 10.19¢ | 26% |
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 Dallas County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Dallas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,849 | $37,783 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 16 | $61,478 | 0.78 |
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 Dallas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dallas County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Webster County.
Dallas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dallas County, Greene 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 18,025 | ▲ 15.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Camden County | 44,047 | ▲ 8.2% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 309,286 | ▲ 5.5% | 926 MW | 178 MW | 2 | — |
| Hickory County | 9,044 | ▲ 20.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Laclede County | 36,943 | ▼ 6.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 33,604 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 43,054 | ▲ 12.7% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Missouri
Dallas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dallas County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Dallas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Empire District Electric Co, Southwest Electric Coop, Inc, Laclede Electric Coop, Inc, Webster Electric Coop. The largest, Empire District Electric Co, charged residential customers 14.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Dallas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dallas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Greene County.
Is Dallas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,849 jobs in 2025 against 2,466 in 2019 (+15.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Dallas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dallas County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.