Taney County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Branson, Hollister and Forsyth
Taney County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Taney County is home to Branson, Hollister, Forsyth and Merriam Woods. Construction employs 990, up 31.5% since 2019. Its power plants have 216 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 28,673 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Taney County
Taney County is home to Branson, Hollister, Forsyth and Merriam Woods.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kissee Mills.
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 Taney County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 56,053 | 57,001 | ▲ 1.7% | 20th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29,296 | 28,673 | ▼ 2.1% | 86th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,062 | $43,572 | ▲ 35.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 753 | 990 | ▲ 31.5% | 22nd of 71 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.3% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Empire District Electric Co is the largest utility serving Taney County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.99¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.79¢ median for Missouri utilities. 57,001 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Taney County
Utilities with service territory in Taney County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 142,537 | 14.99¢ | 37% |
| White River Valley El Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 39,216 | 14.30¢ | 31% |
| Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,101 | 12.54¢ | 14% |
| Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,109 | 12.70¢ | 17% |
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 216 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table Rock | USCE-Little Rock District | Hydro | 200 MW | 1959 |
| Ozark Beach | Empire District Electric Co | Hydro | 16 MW | 1931 |
The Taney County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,673 | $43,572 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 990 | $55,365 | 0.65 |
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 Taney County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Taney County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Carroll County.
Taney County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Taney County, Carroll 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taney County | 57,001 | ▼ 2.1% | 216 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County AR | 38,628 | ▼ 0.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Carroll County AR | 29,263 | ▼ 1.2% | 114 MW | 183 MW | — | 1 |
| Christian County | 96,725 | ▲ 17.1% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 12,342 | ▲ 3.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Marion County AR | 17,593 | ▼ 21.2% | 340 MW | — | — | — |
| Ozark County | 9,172 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Stone County | 32,503 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Missouri
Taney County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Taney County, Missouri?
5 utilities have service territory in Taney County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Empire District Electric Co, White River Valley El Coop Inc, Howell-Oregon Elec Coop, Inc, Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR). The largest, Empire District Electric Co, charged residential customers 14.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Branson, MO in?
Branson is in Taney County, Missouri. About 12,921 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Taney County?
2 operating plants with 216 MW of capacity. The largest is Table Rock (200 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Taney County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Taney County.
Is Taney County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,673 jobs in 2025 against 29,296 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 753 to 990.
Does Taney County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Taney County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.