Livingston County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chillicothe Township, Chillicothe and Rich Hill Township
Livingston 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. Livingston County is home to Chillicothe Township, Chillicothe, Rich Hill Township and Jackson Township. Next door, Caldwell County has 1 data center. Construction employs 243, up 2.1% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Its power plants have 92 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Livingston County
Livingston County is home to Chillicothe Township, Chillicothe, Rich Hill Township and Jackson Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Avalon, Dawn.
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 Livingston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,555 | 14,708 | ▲ 1.1% | 70th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,268 | 6,113 | ▼ 2.5% | 87th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,671 | $46,299 | ▲ 33.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 238 | 243 | ▲ 2.1% | 59th of 71 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16 | 14 | ▼ 12.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 6,113 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Livingston County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Electrical contractors employ 14, down 12.5% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $62,915 a year. 14,708 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Livingston County
Utilities with service territory in Livingston 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% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 273,860 | 13.72¢ | 51% |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,451 | 13.35¢ | 14% |
| Chillicothe Municipal Utils | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy Electric 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 80 MW | 86% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 11% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chillicothe | Chillicothe Municipal Utils (MO) | Petroleum | 90 MW | 1986 |
| Chillicothe Solar Farm | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
The Livingston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,113 | $46,299 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 243 | $66,476 | 0.75 |
| Electrical contractors | 14 | $62,915 | 0.32 |
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 Livingston County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Livingston County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Livingston County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Livingston County, Caldwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Livingston County | 14,708 | ▼ 2.5% | 92 MW | — | — | — |
| Caldwell County | 9,012 | ▲ 2.8% | 25 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Carroll County | 8,417 | ▲ 5.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Chariton County | 7,377 | ▼ 0.8% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Daviess County | 8,558 | ▲ 16.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Grundy County | 9,744 | ▼ 7.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Linn County | 11,815 | ▲ 6.4% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Livingston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Livingston County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Livingston County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Evergy Missouri West, Evergy Metro, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (MO). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Livingston County?
2 operating plants with 92 MW of capacity. The largest is Chillicothe (90 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Livingston County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Livingston County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Caldwell County.
Is Livingston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,113 jobs in 2025 against 6,268 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 238 to 243.
Does Livingston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Livingston County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.