Worth County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
No data center or power plant project is on record in Worth County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Worth County is home to Grant City. Next door, Nodaway County has 490 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 364 jobs in 2025, up 2.5% from 2019. Evergy Missouri West is the largest utility serving Worth County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Worth County
Worth County is home to Grant 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 Worth County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,965 | 1,914 | ▼ 2.6% | 115th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 355 | 364 | ▲ 2.5% | 54th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $25,586 | $33,871 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
1,914 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Worth County
Utilities with service territory in Worth 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% |
| United Electric Coop, Inc - (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 Worth County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Worth County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 364 | $33,871 | 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 Worth County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Worth County. Missouri has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Nodaway County, Taylor County.
Worth County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Worth County, Nodaway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worth County | 1,914 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Gentry County | 6,384 | ▼ 4.9% | 61 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 8,281 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Nodaway County | 20,174 | ▲ 4.0% | 844 MW | 490 MW | — | 1 |
| Ringgold County IA | 4,642 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor County IA | 5,835 | ▲ 1.3% | 122 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Missouri
Worth County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Worth County, Missouri?
2 utilities have service territory in Worth County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Missouri West, United Electric Coop, Inc - (MO). The largest, Evergy Missouri West, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Worth County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Worth County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Nodaway County.
Is Worth County adding jobs?
Employers counted 364 jobs in 2025 against 355 in 2019 (+2.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Worth County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Worth County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.