Shannon County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Montier
No data center or power plant project is on record in Shannon County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Shannon County is home to Winona, Birch Tree and Eminence. Employers here counted 1,600 jobs in 2025, up 11.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Ozark Border Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Shannon County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.66¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities. 7,285 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Shannon County
Shannon County is home to Winona, Birch Tree and Eminence.
- Summersville also extends into Texas County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Montier.
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 Shannon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,034 | 7,285 | ▲ 3.6% | 101st of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,432 | 1,600 | ▲ 11.7% | 17th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $26,728 | $36,524 | ▲ 36.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 5.2% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
Who powers Shannon County
Utilities with service territory in Shannon 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% |
| Intercounty Electric Coop Assn - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,956 | 13.01¢ | 13% |
| Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,101 | 12.54¢ | 14% |
| Black River Electric Coop - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,575 | 12.81¢ | 31% |
| City of Winona - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Shannon County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Shannon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,600 | $36,524 | 1.00 |
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 Shannon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Shannon County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Shannon County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Shannon County, Reynolds 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shannon County | 7,285 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Carter County | 5,418 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Dent County | 14,584 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Howell County | 40,798 | ▼ 0.5% | 55 MW | — | — | — |
| Oregon County | 8,709 | ▲ 11.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Reynolds County | 5,992 | ▼ 12.8% | 408 MW | — | — | — |
| Texas County | 25,994 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Shannon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shannon County, Missouri?
5 utilities have service territory in Shannon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ozark Border Electric Coop, Intercounty Electric Coop Assn - (MO), Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc, Black River Electric Coop - (MO). The largest, Ozark Border Electric Coop, charged residential customers 11.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Shannon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Shannon County.
Is Shannon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,600 jobs in 2025 against 1,432 in 2019 (+11.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Shannon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Shannon County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.