Dunklin County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Independence Township, Kennett and Cotton Hill Township
Dunklin 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. Dunklin County is home to Independence Township, Kennett, Cotton Hill Township and Malden. Construction employs 137, down 24.7% since 2019. Next door, Mississippi County, Arkansas, has 2,250 MW of planned generation. 13 MW has retired here since 2019, including Kennett (natural gas, 10 MW, 2019). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Dunklin County
Dunklin County is home to Independence Township, Kennett, Cotton Hill Township and Malden.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Frisbee, Hollywood, White Oak.
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 Dunklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,216 | 26,855 | ▼ 4.8% | 40th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,840 | 8,997 | ▲ 1.8% | 59th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $28,411 | $37,951 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 182 | 137 | ▼ 24.7% | 69th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 6.0% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — |
Unemployment was 6.0% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. Its power plants have 559 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 8,997 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Dunklin County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 26,855 people live here, down 4.8% since 2020.
Who powers Dunklin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dunklin 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% |
| Ozark Border Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,229 | 11.66¢ | 23% |
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Kennett - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Malden - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pemiscot-Dunklin Elec 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 519 MW | 93% |
| Petroleum | 34 MW | 6% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis Energy Facility | Associated Electric Coop, Inc | Natural gas | 507 MW | 1999 |
| Kennett | City of Kennett - (MO) | Petroleum | 31 MW | 1965 |
| Malden | City of Malden - (MO) | Petroleum | 16 MW | 1957 |
| Kennett Solar | City of Kennett - (MO) | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennett | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2019 |
| Kennett | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2019 |
The Dunklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,997 | $37,951 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 137 | $73,568 | 0.29 |
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 Dunklin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dunklin County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Dunklin County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Dunklin County, Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunklin County | 26,855 | ▲ 1.8% | 559 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 41,904 | ▼ 0.2% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County AR | 14,052 | ▼ 3.8% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Craighead County AR | 116,957 | ▲ 6.4% | 236 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County AR | 47,411 | ▼ 1.3% | 35 MW | — | — | — |
| Mississippi County AR | 37,828 | ▲ 11.0% | 1,927 MW | 2,250 MW | — | — |
| New Madrid County | 15,086 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,500 MW | — | — | — |
| Pemiscot County | 14,465 | ▼ 13.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Stoddard County | 28,284 | ▼ 0.1% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Dunklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dunklin County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Dunklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Ozark Border Electric Coop, Entergy Arkansas LLC, City of Kennett - (MO). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Independence Township, MO in?
Independence Township is in Dunklin County, Missouri. About 11,792 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kennett, MO in?
Kennett is in Dunklin County, Missouri. About 10,118 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dunklin County?
4 operating plants with 559 MW of capacity. The largest is St Francis Energy Facility (507 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Dunklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dunklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mississippi County.
Is Dunklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,997 jobs in 2025 against 8,840 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 182 to 137.
Does Dunklin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dunklin County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.