Adair County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Columbia
Adair 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. Adair County is home to Columbia. Employers here counted 5,091 jobs in 2025, up 14.5% from 2019. Next door, Casey County has 217 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 11, at an average $38,284 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Adair County
Adair County is home to Columbia.
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 Adair County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,885 | 19,423 | ▲ 2.8% | 64th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,447 | 5,091 | ▲ 14.5% | 12th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,068 | $43,804 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Adair County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. 19,423 people live here, up 2.8% since 2020.
Who powers Adair County
Utilities with service territory in Adair County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 450,673 | 11.85¢ | 32% |
| South Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 64,877 | 12.92¢ | 8% |
| Taylor County Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,985 | 13.27¢ | 24% |
| Farmers Rural Electric Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,889 | 13.08¢ | 16% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,529 | 12.52¢ | 49% |
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 Adair County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Adair County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,091 | $43,804 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 11 | $38,284 | 0.30 |
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 Adair County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Adair County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Adair County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Adair County, Casey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 19,423 | ▲ 14.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Casey County | 16,205 | ▲ 1.2% | — | 217 MW | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 5,992 | ▲ 29.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Green County | 11,644 | ▲ 13.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Metcalfe County | 10,583 | ▲ 12.4% | 55 MW | — | — | — |
| Russell County | 18,608 | ▲ 5.1% | 270 MW | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 26,763 | ▼ 4.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Adair County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Adair County, Kentucky?
5 utilities have service territory in Adair County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, South Kentucky Rural E C C, Taylor County Rural E C C, Farmers Rural Electric Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Adair County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Adair County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Casey County.
Is Adair County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,091 jobs in 2025 against 4,447 in 2019 (+14.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Adair County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Adair County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.