Stoddard County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Liberty Township, Dexter and Castor Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Stoddard County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Stoddard County is home to Liberty Township, Dexter, Castor Township and Pike Township. Next door, Bollinger County has 400 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 485, down 1.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 121 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Stoddard County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Stoddard County
Stoddard County is home to Liberty Township, Dexter, Castor Township and Pike Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Grayridge.
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 Stoddard County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,656 | 28,284 | ▼ 1.3% | 39th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,113 | 10,107 | ▼ 0.1% | 75th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,097 | $47,782 | ▲ 28.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 493 | 485 | ▼ 1.6% | 60th of 71 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33 | 43 | ▲ 30.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 4.4% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 10,107 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. 28,284 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Stoddard County
Utilities with service territory in Stoddard 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% |
| Ozark Border Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,229 | 11.66¢ | 23% |
| SEMO Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,783 | 12.79¢ | 25% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 121 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | Associated Electric Coop, Inc | Natural gas | 121 MW | 1999 |
The Stoddard County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,107 | $47,782 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 485 | $66,905 | 0.91 |
| Electric utilities | 43 | $108,809 | 1.57 |
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 Stoddard County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stoddard County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Stoddard County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Stoddard County, Bollinger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoddard County | 28,284 | ▼ 0.1% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Bollinger County | 10,646 | ▼ 0.6% | — | 400 MW | — | — |
| Butler County | 41,904 | ▼ 0.2% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Cape Girardeau County | 83,999 | ▲ 0.1% | 28 MW | — | — | — |
| Dunklin County | 26,855 | ▲ 1.8% | 559 MW | — | — | — |
| New Madrid County | 15,086 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,500 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 37,975 | ▲ 4.5% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,782 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Stoddard County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stoddard County, Missouri?
3 utilities have service territory in Stoddard County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), Ozark Border Electric Coop, SEMO Electric Cooperative. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Liberty Township, MO in?
Liberty Township is in Stoddard County, Missouri. About 14,741 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Stoddard County?
1 operating plant with 121 MW of capacity. The largest is Essex (121 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Stoddard County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stoddard County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bollinger County.
Is Stoddard County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,107 jobs in 2025 against 10,113 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 493 to 485.
Does Stoddard County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stoddard County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.