Ripley County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Doniphan
No data center or power plant project is on record in Ripley County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Ripley County is home to Doniphan. Employers here counted 2,800 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019. Ozark Border Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Ripley County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.66¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. 10,717 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Ripley County
Ripley County is home to Doniphan.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fairdealing, Oxly.
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 Ripley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,670 | 10,717 | ▲ 0.4% | 81st of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,705 | 2,800 | ▲ 3.5% | 48th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $25,252 | $33,842 | ▲ 34.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35 | 66 | ▲ 88.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 5.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
Who powers Ripley County
Utilities with service territory in Ripley 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% |
| Clay County Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 48 | 14.58¢ | 22% |
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 Ripley County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Ripley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,800 | $33,842 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 66 | $39,042 | 0.44 |
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 Ripley County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ripley County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Ripley County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Ripley County, Butler 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripley County | 10,717 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 41,904 | ▼ 0.2% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Carter County | 5,418 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County AR | 14,052 | ▼ 3.8% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Oregon County | 8,709 | ▲ 11.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County AR | 18,876 | ▲ 9.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Ripley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ripley County, Missouri?
2 utilities have service territory in Ripley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ozark Border Electric Coop, Clay County Electric Coop Corp - (AR). The largest, Ozark Border Electric Coop, charged residential customers 11.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Ripley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ripley County.
Is Ripley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,800 jobs in 2025 against 2,705 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 35 to 66.
Does Ripley County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ripley County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.