Howell County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to West Plains, Mountain View and Willow Springs
Howell 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. Howell County is home to West Plains, Mountain View and Willow Springs. Electrical contractors employ 58, up 45.0% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $50,764 a year. Construction employs 330, up 28.4% since 2019. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 55 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Howell County
Howell County is home to West Plains, Mountain View and Willow Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Pomona, South Fork.
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 Howell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 39,800 | 40,798 | ▲ 2.5% | 29th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,400 | 15,327 | ▼ 0.5% | 78th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,345 | $46,649 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 257 | 330 | ▲ 28.4% | 26th of 71 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40 | 58 | ▲ 45.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Howell County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.54¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 15,327 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. 40,798 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Howell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Howell County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,101 | 12.54¢ | 14% |
| City of Mountain View - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of West Plains - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Willow Springs - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 47 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 8 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of West Plains Power Station | City of West Plains - (MO) | Natural gas | 47 MW | 2000 |
| West Plains Solar I | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Solar | 8 MW | 2022 |
The Howell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,327 | $46,649 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 330 | $44,779 | 0.41 |
| Electrical contractors | 58 | $50,764 | 0.52 |
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 Howell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Howell County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Howell County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Howell County, Fulton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howell County | 40,798 | ▼ 0.5% | 55 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 12,342 | ▲ 3.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Fulton County AR | 12,492 | ▼ 13.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Oregon County | 8,709 | ▲ 11.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Ozark County | 9,172 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Shannon County | 7,285 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Texas County | 25,994 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Howell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Howell County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Howell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc, City of Mountain View - (MO), City of West Plains - (MO), City of Willow Springs - (MO). The largest, Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 12.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is West Plains, MO in?
West Plains is in Howell County, Missouri. About 12,780 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Howell County?
2 operating plants with 55 MW of capacity. The largest is City of West Plains Power Station (47 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Howell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Howell County.
Is Howell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,327 jobs in 2025 against 15,400 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 257 to 330.
Does Howell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Howell County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.