Lawrence County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Aurora, Mount Vernon and Monett
No data center or power plant project is on record in Lawrence County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Lawrence County is home to Aurora, Mount Vernon, part of Monett (3,680 of its 10,248 residents) and Marionville. Construction employs 488, down 19.9% since 2019. Next door, Greene County has 2 data centers. 149 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Lawrence County
Lawrence County is home to Aurora, Mount Vernon, part of Monett (3,680 of its 10,248 residents) and Marionville.
- Monett also extends into Barry County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chesapeake.
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 Lawrence County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,990 | 39,401 | ▲ 3.7% | 30th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,875 | 8,974 | ▲ 1.1% | 62nd of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,013 | $49,048 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 609 | 488 | ▼ 19.9% | 67th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 149 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 149 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Empire District Electric Co is the largest utility serving Lawrence 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. Employers here counted 8,974 jobs in 2025, up 1.1% from 2019. 39,401 people live here, up 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers Lawrence County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +149 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lawrence 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 Monett - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 4,118 | 13.65¢ | 25% |
| City of Mount Vernon - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 149 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Point Wind Energy Center | Empire District Electric Co | Wind | 149 MW | 2021 |
The Lawrence County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,974 | $49,048 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 488 | $65,317 | 1.03 |
| Electric utilities | 89 | $93,940 | 3.66 |
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 Lawrence County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lawrence County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Lawrence County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Lawrence County, Greene 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 39,401 | ▲ 1.1% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
| Barry County | 36,200 | ▼ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Christian County | 96,725 | ▲ 17.1% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Dade County | 7,804 | ▼ 0.2% | — | 247 MW | — | — |
| Greene County | 309,286 | ▲ 5.5% | 926 MW | 178 MW | 2 | — |
| Jasper County | 127,428 | ▼ 2.5% | 1,114 MW | 109 MW | 1 | — |
| Newton County | 62,263 | ▲ 13.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Stone County | 32,503 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Lawrence County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lawrence County, Missouri?
5 utilities have service territory in Lawrence County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Empire District Electric Co, Ozark Electric Coop Inc - (MO), New-Mac Electric Coop, Inc, City of Monett - (MO). The largest, Empire District Electric Co, charged residential customers 14.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lawrence County?
1 operating plant with 149 MW of capacity. The largest is Kings Point Wind Energy Center (149 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Lawrence County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lawrence County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Greene County.
Is Lawrence County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,974 jobs in 2025 against 8,875 in 2019 (+1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 609 to 488.
Does Lawrence County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lawrence County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.