Oregon County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Thayer
No data center or power plant project is on record in Oregon County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Oregon County is home to Thayer and Alton. Employers here counted 2,556 jobs in 2025, up 11.8% from 2019. Ozark Border Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Oregon County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.66¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 8,709 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Oregon County
Oregon County is home to Thayer and Alton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Thomasville.
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 Oregon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,605 | 8,709 | ▲ 1.2% | 94th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,287 | 2,556 | ▲ 11.8% | 16th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $26,165 | $38,136 | ▲ 45.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
Who powers Oregon County
Utilities with service territory in Oregon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozark Border Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,229 | 11.66¢ | 23% |
| Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,101 | 12.54¢ | 14% |
| Clay County Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 48 | 14.58¢ | 22% |
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Thayer - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Oregon County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Oregon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,556 | $38,136 | 1.00 |
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 Oregon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Oregon County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Oregon County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Oregon County, Howell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon County | 8,709 | ▲ 11.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Carter County | 5,418 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Fulton County AR | 12,492 | ▼ 13.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Howell County | 40,798 | ▼ 0.5% | 55 MW | — | — | — |
| Randolph County AR | 18,876 | ▲ 9.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Ripley County | 10,717 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Shannon County | 7,285 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Sharp County AR | 18,122 | ▲ 12.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Oregon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Oregon County, Missouri?
5 utilities have service territory in Oregon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ozark Border Electric Coop, Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc, Clay County Electric Coop Corp - (AR), Entergy Arkansas LLC. The largest, Ozark Border Electric Coop, charged residential customers 11.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Oregon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Oregon County.
Is Oregon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,556 jobs in 2025 against 2,287 in 2019 (+11.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Oregon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Oregon County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.