St. Clair County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Appleton City and Osceola
No data center or power plant project is on record in St. Clair County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. St. Clair County is home to Appleton City, Osceola and Lowry City. Next door, Henry County has 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 1,746 jobs in 2025, up 10.7% from 2019. Evergy Missouri West is the largest utility serving St. Clair County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024. 9,976 people live here, up 6.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in St. Clair County
St. Clair County is home to Appleton City, Osceola and Lowry City.
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 St. Clair County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,350 | 9,976 | ▲ 6.7% | 85th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,577 | 1,746 | ▲ 10.7% | 19th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $28,700 | $41,221 | ▲ 43.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Who powers St. Clair County
Utilities with service territory in St. Clair County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Missouri West | Investor Owned | Bundled | 305,583 | 12.55¢ | 42% |
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 142,537 | 14.99¢ | 37% |
| Southwest Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 41,386 | 11.99¢ | 16% |
| Osage Valley Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,945 | 14.00¢ | 12% |
| Sac-Osage Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Osceola - (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 St. Clair County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The St. Clair County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,746 | $41,221 | 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 St. Clair County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in St. Clair County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
St. Clair County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border St. Clair County, Henry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County | 9,976 | ▲ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Bates County | 16,512 | ▲ 4.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 20,536 | ▲ 9.3% | 161 MW | — | — | — |
| Cedar County | 14,888 | ▲ 12.9% | 54 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 22,671 | ▲ 14.4% | — | 400 MW | — | — |
| Hickory County | 9,044 | ▲ 20.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 33,604 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Vernon County | 19,946 | ▲ 3.3% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
St. Clair County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Clair County, Missouri?
6 utilities have service territory in St. Clair County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Missouri West, Empire District Electric Co, Southwest Electric Coop, Inc, Osage Valley Elec Coop Assn. The largest, Evergy Missouri West, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in St. Clair County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in St. Clair County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Henry County.
Is St. Clair County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,746 jobs in 2025 against 1,577 in 2019 (+10.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does St. Clair County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for St. Clair County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.