Alfalfa County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Helena and Cherokee
Alfalfa 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. Alfalfa County is home to Helena and Cherokee. Employers here counted 1,149 jobs in 2025, down 22.9% from 2019. Next door, Barber County, Kansas, has 1 data center. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Alfalfa County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities.
Cities and towns in Alfalfa County
Alfalfa County is home to Helena and Cherokee.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Nescatunga.
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 Alfalfa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,713 | 5,649 | ▼ 1.1% | 65th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,490 | 1,149 | ▼ 22.9% | 77th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,799 | $53,558 | ▲ 22.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 88 | 54 | ▼ 38.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.7% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
5,649 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Alfalfa County
Utilities with service territory in Alfalfa County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 710,123 | 11.78¢ | 44% |
| Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,630 | 10.20¢ | 10% |
| City of Burlington - (OK) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Goltry Public Works Authority | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Alfalfa County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Alfalfa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,149 | $53,558 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 54 | $98,584 | 0.89 |
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 Alfalfa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Alfalfa County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Alfalfa County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Alfalfa County, Garfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa County | 5,649 | ▼ 22.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Barber County KS | 4,083 | ▼ 3.6% | 283 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Garfield County | 61,779 | ▼ 4.4% | 1,721 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 4,067 | ▼ 4.8% | 299 MW | — | — | — |
| Harper County KS | 5,370 | ▼ 0.2% | 298 MW | — | — | — |
| Major County | 7,536 | ▼ 17.5% | 288 MW | — | — | — |
| Woods County | 8,443 | ▼ 5.3% | 203 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Alfalfa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Alfalfa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc, City of Burlington - (OK), Goltry Public Works Authority. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Alfalfa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Alfalfa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Barber County.
Is Alfalfa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,149 jobs in 2025 against 1,490 in 2019 (-22.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 88 to 54.
Does Alfalfa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Alfalfa County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.