Gentry County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Athens Township, Cooper Township and Albany
No data center or power plant project is on record in Gentry County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Gentry County is home to Athens Township, Cooper Township, Albany and Jackson Township. Next door, Nodaway County has 490 MW of planned generation. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Albany (petroleum, 6 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 2,121 jobs in 2025, down 4.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 61 MW of capacity, 93% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Gentry County
Gentry County is home to Athens Township, Cooper Township, Albany and Jackson Township.
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 Gentry County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,129 | 6,384 | ▲ 4.2% | 103rd of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,230 | 2,121 | ▼ 4.9% | 98th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,752 | $44,062 | ▲ 23.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Gentry County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 6,384 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Gentry County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Gentry 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% |
| Evergy Missouri West | Investor Owned | Bundled | 305,583 | 12.55¢ | 42% |
| City of Albany - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Stanberry - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| United Electric Coop, Inc - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 57 MW | 93% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 7% |
| Petroleum | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegrass Ridge | Wind Capital Holdings, LLC | Wind | 57 MW | 2007 |
| Stanberry | City of Stanberry - (MO) | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1958 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2019 |
The Gentry County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,121 | $44,062 | 1.00 |
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 Gentry County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gentry County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Nodaway County.
Gentry County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Gentry County, Nodaway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentry County | 6,384 | ▼ 4.9% | 61 MW | — | — | — |
| Andrew County | 18,241 | ▲ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Daviess County | 8,558 | ▲ 16.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| DeKalb County | 9,795 | ▼ 18.9% | 369 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 8,281 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Nodaway County | 20,174 | ▲ 4.0% | 844 MW | 490 MW | — | 1 |
| Worth County | 1,914 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Gentry County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gentry County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Gentry County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Evergy Missouri West, City of Albany - (MO), Grundy Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Gentry County?
2 operating plants with 61 MW of capacity. The largest is Bluegrass Ridge (57 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Gentry County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gentry County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Nodaway County.
Is Gentry County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,121 jobs in 2025 against 2,230 in 2019 (-4.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Gentry County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gentry County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.