New Madrid County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Portageville, New Madrid and Sikeston
New Madrid County hosts some of the generating capacity Missouri runs on. Construction employs 246, up 215.4% since 2019. New Madrid County is home to Portageville, New Madrid, part of Sikeston (1,921 of its 15,983 residents) and Lilbourn. Its power plants have 1,500 MW of capacity, 87% of it coal, the 4th largest fleet in Missouri. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in New Madrid County
New Madrid County is home to Portageville, New Madrid, part of Sikeston (1,921 of its 15,983 residents) and Lilbourn.
- Sikeston also extends into Scott 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 New Madrid County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,329 | 15,086 | ▼ 7.6% | 67th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,344 | 7,405 | ▲ 0.8% | 65th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,335 | $45,933 | ▲ 23.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 78 | 246 | ▲ 215.4% | 1st of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving New Madrid County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 15,086 people live here, down 7.6% since 2020. Employers here counted 7,405 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019.
Who powers New Madrid County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in New Madrid 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% |
| Ozark Border Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,229 | 11.66¢ | 23% |
| SEMO Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,783 | 12.79¢ | 25% |
| City of Sikeston - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,058 | 9.88¢ | 35% |
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of New Madrid - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pemiscot-Dunklin 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,300 MW | 87% |
| Solar | 200 MW | 13% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Madrid | Associated Electric Coop, Inc | Coal | 1,300 MW | 1972 |
| New Madrid Solar, LLC | New Madrid Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 |
The New Madrid County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,405 | $45,933 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 246 | $57,838 | 0.63 |
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 New Madrid County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in New Madrid County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
New Madrid County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border New Madrid County, Scott 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Madrid County | 15,086 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,500 MW | — | — | — |
| Dunklin County | 26,855 | ▲ 1.8% | 559 MW | — | — | — |
| Fulton County KY | 6,218 | ▲ 10.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Lake County TN | 6,249 | ▼ 9.3% | 177 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Mississippi County | 12,003 | ▼ 18.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Pemiscot County | 14,465 | ▼ 13.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 37,975 | ▲ 4.5% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Stoddard County | 28,284 | ▼ 0.1% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
New Madrid County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in New Madrid County, Missouri?
7 utilities have service territory in New Madrid County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Ozark Border Electric Coop, SEMO Electric Cooperative, City of Sikeston - (MO). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in New Madrid County?
2 operating plants with 1,500 MW of capacity. The largest is New Madrid (1,300 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in New Madrid County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in New Madrid County.
Is New Madrid County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,405 jobs in 2025 against 7,344 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 78 to 246.
Does New Madrid County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for New Madrid County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.