Shelby County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shelbina
No data center or power plant project is on record in Shelby County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 106, up 51.4% since 2019. Shelby County is home to Shelbina and Clarence. Next door, Marion County has 1 data center. Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Macon Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Shelby County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.82¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities.
Cities and towns in Shelby County
Shelby County is home to Shelbina and Clarence.
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 Shelby County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,090 | 5,870 | ▼ 3.6% | 105th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,788 | 1,805 | ▲ 1.0% | 64th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,133 | $46,869 | ▲ 50.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 70 | 106 | ▲ 51.4% | 11th of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 1,805 jobs in 2025, up 1.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 5,870 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Shelby County
Utilities with service territory in Shelby County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,023 | 14.82¢ | 16% |
| Missouri Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,049 | 13.62¢ | 11% |
| City of Hunnewell - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lewis County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Shelbina - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbina Power #2 | City of Shelbina - (MO) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1992 |
| Shelbina Power #1 | City of Shelbina - (MO) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1981 |
| Shelbina Power #3 | City of Shelbina - (MO) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2002 |
The Shelby County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,805 | $46,869 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 106 | $61,849 | 1.11 |
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 Shelby County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Shelby County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Marion County.
Shelby County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Shelby County, Randolph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 5,870 | ▲ 1.0% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 3,728 | ▼ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 9,879 | ▼ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Macon County | 15,190 | ▼ 3.7% | 17 MW | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 28,525 | ▼ 2.5% | — | 76 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Monroe County | 8,959 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 24,513 | ▼ 2.6% | 1,242 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Missouri
Shelby County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shelby County, Missouri?
5 utilities have service territory in Shelby County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Macon Electric Coop, Missouri Rural Electric Coop, City of Hunnewell - (MO), Lewis County Rural E C A. The largest, Macon Electric Coop, charged residential customers 14.82¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Shelby County?
3 operating plants with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Shelbina Power #2 (7 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Shelby County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Shelby County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Marion County.
Is Shelby County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,805 jobs in 2025 against 1,788 in 2019 (+1.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 70 to 106.
Does Shelby County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Shelby County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.