Franklin County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Washington, Union and Pacific
Franklin County hosts some of the generating capacity Missouri runs on. Franklin County is home to Washington, Union, most of Pacific (6,761 of its 7,824 residents) and most of Sullivan (5,429 of its 6,942 residents). Construction employs 2,931, up 19.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 2,389 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal, the largest fleet in Missouri. Next door, St. Louis County has 7 data centers and 648 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 202, up 14.8% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $64,843 a year.
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to Washington, Union, most of Pacific (6,761 of its 7,824 residents) and most of Sullivan (5,429 of its 6,942 residents).
- Pacific also extends into St. Louis County.
- Sullivan also extends into Crawford County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Gray Summit, Lake St. Clair, Stanton, Villa Ridge.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 104,852 | 108,090 | ▲ 3.1% | 12th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39,539 | 39,757 | ▲ 0.6% | 68th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,569 | $53,591 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,450 | 2,931 | ▲ 19.6% | 36th of 71 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 176 | 202 | ▲ 14.8% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 199 | 206 | ▲ 3.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Franklin County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 39,757 jobs in 2025, up 0.6% from 2019. 108,090 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020.
Who powers Franklin County
Utilities with service territory in Franklin 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% |
| Three Rivers Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,561 | 12.47¢ | 18% |
| Crawford Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,775 | 12.78¢ | 16% |
| City of Sullivan - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,389 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labadie | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Coal | 2,389 MW | 1970 |
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 39,757 | $53,591 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,931 | $62,847 | 1.39 |
| Electrical contractors | 202 | $64,843 | 0.70 |
| Power and communication line construction | 206 | $72,665 | 3.21 |
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 Franklin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Franklin County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: St. Charles County.
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Franklin County, St. Louis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 108,090 | ▲ 0.6% | 2,389 MW | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 22,929 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Gasconade County | 14,784 | ▼ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 233,132 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Charles County | 426,499 | ▲ 7.1% | 1,104 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| St. Louis County | 990,911 | ▼ 3.4% | 34 MW | 648 MW | 7 | — |
| Warren County | 39,016 | ▲ 17.8% | 439 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 23,810 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Three Rivers Electric Coop, Crawford Electric Coop, Inc, City of Sullivan - (MO). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Washington, MO in?
Washington is in Franklin County, Missouri. About 15,906 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Union, MO in?
Union is in Franklin County, Missouri. About 13,445 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Franklin County?
1 operating plant with 2,389 MW of capacity. The largest is Labadie (2,389 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Franklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Louis County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 39,757 jobs in 2025 against 39,539 in 2019 (+0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,450 to 2,931.
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Franklin County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.