Jasper County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Joplin, Carthage and Webb City
Jasper County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Jasper County. Jasper County is home to most of Joplin (46,022 of its 53,930 residents), Carthage, Webb City and Carl Junction. Construction employs 2,528, up 33.6% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 574, up 51.1% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $103,280 a year. 109 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Evergy Missouri West (solar). 109 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Jasper County
Jasper County is home to most of Joplin (46,022 of its 53,930 residents), Carthage, Webb City and Carl Junction.
- Joplin also extends into Newton County.
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 Jasper County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 122,885 | 127,428 | ▲ 3.7% | 9th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 58,408 | 56,939 | ▼ 2.5% | 88th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,289 | $52,151 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,892 | 2,528 | ▲ 33.6% | 19th of 71 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 380 | 574 | ▲ 51.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 213 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 109 MW | 10% of today's fleet | 11th of 14 by size |
213 MW has retired here since 2019, including Asbury (coal, 213 MW, 2020). Owners plan to retire 258 MW more by 2035, led by Empire Energy Center in 2035. Its power plants have 1,114 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 8th largest fleet in Missouri. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 56,939 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. Empire District Electric Co is the largest utility serving Jasper County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.99¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities. 127,428 people live here, up 3.7% since 2020, 9th of 115 Missouri counties by population.
Who powers Jasper County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −210 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jasper 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% |
| Ozark Electric Coop Inc - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,534 | 14.07¢ | 19% |
| New-Mac Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,445 | 12.63¢ | 13% |
| City of Carthage - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,106 | 14.06¢ | 22% |
| Barton County 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 | 1,111 MW | 100% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Line Combined Cycle | Empire District Electric Co | Natural gas | 690 MW | 1995 |
| Empire Energy Center | Empire District Electric Co | Natural gas | 379 MW | 1978 |
| Carthage | City of Carthage - (MO) | Natural gas | 42 MW | 1946 |
| Prosperity Solar Farm CSG | Empire District Electric Co | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foxtrot Solar Energy LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 109 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Evergy Missouri West |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury | Coal | 213 MW | 2020 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Energy Center | Natural gas | 258 MW | 2035 |
The Jasper County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 56,939 | $52,151 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,528 | $72,521 | 0.84 |
| Electrical contractors | 574 | $103,280 | 1.40 |
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 Jasper County
1 data center in Jasper County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Jasper County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Jasper County, Dade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 127,428 | ▼ 2.5% | 1,114 MW | 109 MW | 1 | — |
| Barton County | 11,795 | ▲ 8.3% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County KS | 19,105 | ▲ 0.1% | 268 MW | 27 MW | — | — |
| Crawford County KS | 39,008 | ▼ 0.2% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Dade County | 7,804 | ▼ 0.2% | — | 247 MW | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 39,401 | ▲ 1.1% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
| Newton County | 62,263 | ▲ 13.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Jasper County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jasper County, Missouri?
5 utilities have service territory in Jasper County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Empire District Electric Co, Ozark Electric Coop Inc - (MO), New-Mac Electric Coop, Inc, City of Carthage - (MO). The largest, Empire District Electric Co, charged residential customers 14.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Joplin, MO in?
Most of Joplin is in Jasper County: 46,022 of its 53,930 residents, or 85%. The rest of the city lies in Newton County.
What county is Carthage, MO in?
Carthage is in Jasper County, Missouri. About 15,895 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Webb City, MO in?
Webb City is in Jasper County, Missouri. About 13,459 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Jasper County?
4 operating plants with 1,114 MW of capacity. The largest is State Line Combined Cycle (690 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Jasper County?
109 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 109 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Evergy Missouri West.
Are there data centers in Jasper County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Jasper County.
Is Jasper County adding jobs?
Employers counted 56,939 jobs in 2025 against 58,408 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,892 to 2,528.
Does Jasper County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jasper County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.