Saline County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Marshall, Slater and Sweet Springs
Saline County is a generation frontier for Missouri. Saline County is home to Marshall, Slater and Sweet Springs. 122 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. (natural gas), the 10th largest pipeline among Missouri's counties. 46 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Construction employs 160, up 4.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 34 MW of capacity, 83% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Saline County
Saline County is home to Marshall, Slater and Sweet Springs.
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 Saline County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,334 | 23,265 | ▼ 0.3% | 49th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,696 | 8,832 | ▲ 1.6% | 60th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,837 | $47,626 | ▲ 32.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 153 | 160 | ▲ 4.6% | 57th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 122 MW | 364% of today's fleet | 10th of 14 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 48, at an average $66,268 a year. Employers here counted 8,832 jobs in 2025, up 1.6% from 2019. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Saline County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 23,265 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Saline County
Utilities with service territory in Saline 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% |
| Evergy Metro | Investor Owned | Bundled | 273,860 | 13.72¢ | 51% |
| Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,119 | 15.18¢ | 14% |
| Central Missouri Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,167 | 12.51¢ | 10% |
| City of Marshall - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Slater - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 28 MW | 83% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 9% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall (MO) | City of Marshall - (MO) | Natural gas | 31 MW | 1972 |
| Marshall Solar Farm (MO) | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. | Solar | 3 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall Energy Center | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 38 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. |
| Marshall Energy Center | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 38 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. |
| Marshall Energy Center | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 23 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. |
| Marshall Energy Center | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 23 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. |
The Saline County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,832 | $47,626 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 160 | $54,174 | 0.34 |
| Electrical contractors | 48 | $66,268 | 0.75 |
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 Saline County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Saline County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Saline County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Saline County, Lafayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County | 23,265 | ▲ 1.6% | 34 MW | 122 MW | — | — |
| Carroll County | 8,417 | ▲ 5.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Chariton County | 7,377 | ▼ 0.8% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Cooper County | 17,136 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 10,180 | ▼ 0.5% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Lafayette County | 33,531 | ▲ 1.8% | 54 MW | — | — | — |
| Pettis County | 44,254 | ▲ 0.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Saline County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Saline County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in Saline County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Evergy Metro, Co-Mo Electric Coop Inc, Central Missouri Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Marshall, MO in?
Marshall is in Saline County, Missouri. About 13,766 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Saline County?
2 operating plants with 34 MW of capacity. The largest is Marshall (MO) (31 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Saline County?
122 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 46 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm..
Are there data centers in Saline County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Saline County.
Is Saline County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,832 jobs in 2025 against 8,696 in 2019 (+1.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 153 to 160.
Does Saline County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Saline County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.