Scott County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sikeston, Scott City and Chaffee
No data center or power plant project is on record in Scott County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Scott County is home to most of Sikeston (14,062 of its 15,983 residents), Scott City, Chaffee and Oran. Construction employs 550, down 16.9% since 2019. 349 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 610 MW of capacity, 57% of it solar. Employers here counted 16,184 jobs in 2025, up 4.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is home to most of Sikeston (14,062 of its 15,983 residents), Scott City, Chaffee and Oran.
- Sikeston also extends into New Madrid County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): New Hamburg, Perkins.
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 Scott County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 38,021 | 37,975 | ▼ 0.1% | 32nd of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,492 | 16,184 | ▲ 4.5% | 41st of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,333 | $51,776 | ▲ 35.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 662 | 550 | ▼ 16.9% | 65th of 71 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 125 | 61 | ▼ 51.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 349 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Scott County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 37,975 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 61, down 51.2% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $69,697 a year.
Who powers Scott County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +349 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Scott 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% |
| SEMO Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,783 | 12.79¢ | 25% |
| City of Sikeston - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,058 | 9.88¢ | 35% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 349 MW | 57% |
| Coal | 261 MW | 43% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikeston Power Station | City of Sikeston - (MO) | Coal | 261 MW | 1981 |
| Kelso Solar | Kelso Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Kelso 2 Solar | Kelso 2 Solar, LLC | Solar | 149 MW | 2026 |
The Scott County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,184 | $51,776 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 550 | $58,487 | 0.64 |
| Electrical contractors | 61 | $69,697 | 0.52 |
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 Scott County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scott County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Scott County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Scott County, New Madrid 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 37,975 | ▲ 4.5% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Alexander County IL | 4,570 | ▼ 14.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Cape Girardeau County | 83,999 | ▲ 0.1% | 28 MW | — | — | — |
| Mississippi County | 12,003 | ▼ 18.7% | — | — | — | — |
| New Madrid County | 15,086 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,500 MW | — | — | — |
| Stoddard County | 28,284 | ▼ 0.1% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Scott County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scott County, Missouri?
3 utilities have service territory in Scott County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), SEMO Electric Cooperative, City of Sikeston - (MO). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Sikeston, MO in?
Most of Sikeston is in Scott County: 14,062 of its 15,983 residents, or 88%. The rest of the city lies in New Madrid County.
What power plants are in Scott County?
3 operating plants with 610 MW of capacity. The largest is Sikeston Power Station (261 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Scott County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scott County.
Is Scott County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,184 jobs in 2025 against 15,492 in 2019 (+4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 662 to 550.
Does Scott County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scott County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.