Miller County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Eldon and Lake Ozark
No data center or power plant project is on record in Miller County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 892, up 32.5% since 2019, and construction is 2.2 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Miller County is home to Eldon, most of Lake Ozark (2,169 of its 2,247 residents) and Iberia. Next door, Maries County has 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 7,806 jobs in 2025, up 7.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 208 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Miller County
Miller County is home to Eldon, most of Lake Ozark (2,169 of its 2,247 residents) and Iberia.
- Osage Beach also extends into Camden County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aurora Springs.
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 Miller County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,772 | 25,817 | ▲ 4.2% | 42nd of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,278 | 7,806 | ▲ 7.3% | 30th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,297 | $46,599 | ▲ 44.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 673 | 892 | ▲ 32.5% | 20th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Miller County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 25,817 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Miller County
Utilities with service territory in Miller 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% |
| Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,119 | 15.18¢ | 14% |
| Three Rivers Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,561 | 12.47¢ | 18% |
| Gascosage Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,253 | 12.30¢ | 13% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 208 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osage Dam | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Hydro | 208 MW | 1931 |
The Miller County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,806 | $46,599 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 892 | $54,473 | 2.16 |
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 Miller County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Miller County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Miller County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Miller County, Maries 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miller County | 25,817 | ▲ 7.3% | 208 MW | — | — | — |
| Camden County | 44,047 | ▲ 8.2% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Cole County | 77,908 | ▲ 2.2% | 132 MW | — | — | — |
| Maries County | 8,397 | ▲ 13.7% | — | 400 MW | — | — |
| Moniteau County | 15,428 | ▼ 4.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 22,418 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Osage County | 13,611 | ▲ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 54,442 | ▲ 0.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Miller County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Miller County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Miller County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc, Three Rivers Electric Coop, Gascosage Electric Coop. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Miller County?
1 operating plant with 208 MW of capacity. The largest is Osage Dam (208 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Miller County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Miller County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Maries County.
Is Miller County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,806 jobs in 2025 against 7,278 in 2019 (+7.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 673 to 892.
Does Miller County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Miller County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.