Platte County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kansas City, Parkville and Platte City
Platte County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Platte County, 8% of Missouri's total. Platte County is home to part of Kansas City (56,064 of its 521,220 residents), Parkville, Platte City and Riverside. Its power plants have 1,754 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal, the 3rd largest fleet in Missouri. 36 MW has retired here since 2019, including Kansas City International (natural gas, 36 MW, 2020). Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Platte County
Platte County is home to part of Kansas City (56,064 of its 521,220 residents), Parkville, Platte City and Riverside.
- Kansas City also extends into Jackson County, Clay County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): New Market.
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 Platte County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 107,187 | 114,400 | ▲ 6.7% | 11th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 48,226 | 48,369 | ▲ 0.3% | 71st of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,108 | $60,165 | ▲ 22.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 280 | 185 | ▼ 33.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 36 MW | — |
Evergy Missouri West is the largest utility serving Platte County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024. 114,400 people live here, up 6.7% since 2020. Employers here counted 48,369 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019.
Who powers Platte County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −36 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Platte County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Missouri West | Investor Owned | Bundled | 305,583 | 12.55¢ | 42% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 273,860 | 13.72¢ | 51% |
| Platte-Clay Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,584 | 12.46¢ | 23% |
| United Electric Coop, Inc - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,754 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iatan | Evergy Metro | Coal | 1,754 MW | 1980 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City International | Natural gas | 36 MW | 2020 |
The Platte County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 48,369 | $60,165 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 185 | $163,810 | 1.23 |
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 Platte County
7 data centers in Platte County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Platte County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Platte County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County | 114,400 | ▲ 0.3% | 1,754 MW | — | 7 | — |
| Atchison County KS | 16,172 | ▲ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Buchanan County | 83,540 | ▼ 1.4% | 280 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 265,032 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | 33 | — |
| Clinton County | 21,661 | ▲ 22.4% | — | 419 MW | — | — |
| Leavenworth County KS | 84,590 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Wyandotte County KS | 170,597 | ▲ 3.5% | 510 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Platte County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Platte County, Missouri?
4 utilities have service territory in Platte County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Missouri West, Evergy Metro, Platte-Clay Electric Coop, Inc, United Electric Coop, Inc - (MO). The largest, Evergy Missouri West, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Is Kansas City in Platte County?
Partly. 56,064 of Kansas City's 521,220 residents (11%) live in Platte County; most of the city is in Jackson County.
What power plants are in Platte County?
1 operating plant with 1,754 MW of capacity. The largest is Iatan (1,754 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Platte County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Platte County.
Is Platte County adding jobs?
Employers counted 48,369 jobs in 2025 against 48,226 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Platte County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Platte County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.