Boyd County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ashland and Catlettsburg
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Boyd County. Boyd County is home to Ashland and Catlettsburg. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through January 9, 2027”. Construction employs 1,655, up 15.3% since 2019. Employers here counted 26,451 jobs in 2025, up 9.3% from 2019. Kentucky Power Co is the largest utility serving Boyd County. Its residential customers paid an average 15.07¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities.
Cities and towns in Boyd County
Boyd County is home to Ashland and Catlettsburg.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cannonsburg, Ironville, Westwood.
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 Boyd County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 48,209 | 47,751 | ▼ 1.0% | 22nd of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,204 | 26,451 | ▲ 9.3% | 30th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,696 | $61,721 | ▲ 26.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,436 | 1,655 | ▲ 15.3% | 32nd of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.9% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. 47,751 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Boyd County
Utilities with service territory in Boyd County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 130,852 | 15.07¢ | 27% |
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 Boyd County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Boyd County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,451 | $61,721 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,655 | $81,834 | 1.18 |
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 Boyd County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through January 9, 2027 | In force | 2026-07 | |
| Six-month moratorium on new data centers | In force | 2026-07 |
Boyd County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Boyd County, Lawrence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boyd County | 47,751 | ▲ 9.3% | — | — | — | 2 |
| Carter County | 26,149 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Greenup County | 35,213 | ▼ 9.0% | 2 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lawrence County | 15,765 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,430 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County OH | 55,710 | ▲ 6.1% | 1,430 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wayne County WV | 37,309 | ▲ 2.6% | 872 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Boyd County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Boyd County, Kentucky?
1 utility has service territory in Boyd County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Power Co. The largest, Kentucky Power Co, charged residential customers 15.07¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ashland, KY in?
Ashland is in Boyd County, Kentucky. About 20,996 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Boyd County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Boyd County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Greenup County.
Is Boyd County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,451 jobs in 2025 against 24,204 in 2019 (+9.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,436 to 1,655.
Does Boyd County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Boyd County, 2 in force.