Boone County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Florence, Union and Walton
The data center boom is not abstract in Boone County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Boone County, 5% of Kentucky's total. Boone County is home to Florence, Union and most of Walton (5,497 of its 5,868 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through June 15, 2027”. Electrical contractors employ 392, up 28.9% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $91,088 a year. Employers here counted 105,521 jobs in 2025, up 10.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Boone County
Boone County is home to Florence, Union and most of Walton (5,497 of its 5,868 residents).
- Walton also extends into Kenton County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Belleview, Burlington, Francisville, Hebron, Oakbrook, Petersburg, Rabbit Hash, Verona.
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 Boone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 136,472 | 145,316 | ▲ 6.5% | 5th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 95,429 | 105,521 | ▲ 10.6% | 26th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,560 | $60,495 | ▲ 24.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 304 | 392 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 190 | 214 | ▲ 12.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 780 MW of capacity, 99% of it coal. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Duke Energy Kentucky is the largest utility serving Boone County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.44¢/kWh in 2024. 145,316 people live here, up 6.5% since 2020, 5th of 120 Kentucky counties by population. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Who powers Boone County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Boone County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Kentucky | Investor Owned | Bundled | 139,405 | 13.44¢ | 44% |
| Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 63,984 | 12.55¢ | 7% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 772 MW | 99% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Bend | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc | Coal | 772 MW | 1981 |
| Bavarian LFGTE | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2003 |
| Aero Solar Facility | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| L'Oreal Solar - Florence | L'Oreal USA Products Inc | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
The Boone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 105,521 | $60,495 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 392 | $91,088 | 0.52 |
| Electric utilities | 214 | $122,535 | 0.75 |
| Data processing and hosting | 183 | $71,261 | 0.56 |
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 Boone County
3 data centers in Boone County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through June 15, 2027 | In force | 2026-06 |
Boone County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Boone County, Hamilton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 145,316 | ▲ 10.6% | 780 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Dearborn County IN | 51,609 | ▲ 4.7% | 1,232 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Gallatin County | 8,840 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 26,181 | ▲ 11.6% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County OH | 838,418 | ▼ 1.2% | 1,238 MW | — | 13 | — |
| Kenton County | 175,779 | ▲ 10.9% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Ohio County IN | 5,994 | ▼ 14.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Switzerland County IN | 10,037 | ▼ 22.5% | 78 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Boone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Boone County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Boone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Kentucky, Owen Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Kentucky, charged residential customers 13.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Florence, KY in?
Florence is in Boone County, Kentucky. About 34,018 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Boone County?
4 operating plants with 780 MW of capacity. The largest is East Bend (772 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Boone County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Boone County.
Is Boone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 105,521 jobs in 2025 against 95,429 in 2019 (+10.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Boone County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Boone County, 1 in force.