St. Francois County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Farmington, Park Hills and Bonne Terre
No data center or power plant project is on record in St. Francois County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. St. Francois County is home to Farmington, Park Hills, Bonne Terre and Desloge. Construction employs 1,232, up 23.9% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 18 MW of capacity, 86% of it petroleum. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving St. Francois County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in St. Francois County
St. Francois County is home to Farmington, Park Hills, Bonne Terre and Desloge.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Doe Run, Frankclay, Goose Creek Lake, Knob Lick, Lake Timberline, Terre du Lac, Wortham.
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. Francois County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 66,433 | 67,809 | ▲ 2.1% | 17th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,208 | 23,012 | ▼ 0.8% | 82nd of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,794 | $46,062 | ▲ 40.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 994 | 1,232 | ▲ 23.9% | 32nd of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 23,012 jobs in 2025, down 0.8% from 2019. 67,809 people live here, up 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers St. Francois County
Utilities with service territory in St. Francois 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% |
| Citizens Electric Corporation - (MO) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,826 | 15.33¢ | 5% |
| City of Farmington - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,250 | 10.22¢ | 11% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 16 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Road Station | City of Farmington - (MO) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2003 |
| Elm Street Substation Generators | City of Farmington - (MO) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2002 |
| Farmington Solar Farm | Missouri Jnt Muni.Pwr Elec. Ut. Comm. | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
| Walton Street Substation | City of Farmington - (MO) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2003 |
The St. Francois County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,012 | $46,062 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,232 | $69,445 | 1.01 |
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. Francois County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in St. Francois County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
St. Francois County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border St. Francois County, Madison 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. Francois County | 67,809 | ▼ 0.8% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Iron County | 9,318 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 233,132 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 12,858 | ▼ 3.1% | 28 MW | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 19,093 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Ste. Genevieve County | 18,689 | ▲ 9.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 23,810 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
St. Francois County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Francois County, Missouri?
3 utilities have service territory in St. Francois County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Citizens Electric Corporation - (MO), City of Farmington - (MO). The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Farmington, MO in?
Farmington is in St. Francois County, Missouri. About 19,226 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in St. Francois County?
4 operating plants with 18 MW of capacity. The largest is Overall Road Station (8 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in St. Francois County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in St. Francois County.
Is St. Francois County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,012 jobs in 2025 against 23,208 in 2019 (-0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 994 to 1,232.
Does St. Francois County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for St. Francois County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.