Phelps County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rolla and St. James
No data center or power plant project is on record in Phelps County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Phelps County is home to Rolla, St. James and Doolittle. Electrical contractors employ 19, up 46.2% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $45,106 a year. Next door, Maries County has 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 19,609 jobs in 2025, up 7.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Phelps County
Phelps County is home to Rolla, St. James and Doolittle.
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 Phelps County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 44,553 | 45,247 | ▲ 1.6% | 24th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,331 | 19,609 | ▲ 7.0% | 32nd of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,371 | $53,379 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13 | 19 | ▲ 46.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Phelps County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 45,247 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Phelps County
Utilities with service territory in Phelps 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% |
| Intercounty Electric Coop Assn - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,956 | 13.01¢ | 13% |
| Crawford Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,775 | 12.78¢ | 16% |
| Gascosage Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,253 | 12.30¢ | 13% |
| City of Rolla - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 8,132 | 10.62¢ | 18% |
| City of Newburg - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of St James - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 3 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolla Solar Farm (MO) | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. | Solar | 3 MW | 2016 |
The Phelps County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,609 | $53,379 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 19 | $45,106 | 0.13 |
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 Phelps County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Phelps County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Phelps County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Phelps 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phelps County | 45,247 | ▲ 7.0% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 22,929 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Dent County | 14,584 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Gasconade County | 14,784 | ▼ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Maries County | 8,397 | ▲ 13.7% | — | 400 MW | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 54,442 | ▲ 0.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Texas County | 25,994 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Phelps County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Phelps County, Missouri?
7 utilities have service territory in Phelps County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Intercounty Electric Coop Assn - (MO), Crawford Electric Coop, Inc, Gascosage Electric Coop. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Rolla, MO in?
Rolla is in Phelps County, Missouri. About 20,588 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Phelps County?
1 operating plant with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Rolla Solar Farm (MO) (3 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Phelps County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Phelps County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Maries County.
Is Phelps County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,609 jobs in 2025 against 18,331 in 2019 (+7.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Phelps County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Phelps County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.