Carlisle County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cunningham
No data center or power plant project is on record in Carlisle County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Carlisle County is home to Bardwell. Next door, McCracken County has 4 data centers and 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 1,054 jobs in 2025, up 5.2% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Carlisle 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. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Carlisle County
Carlisle County is home to Bardwell.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cunningham.
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 Carlisle County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,807 | 4,747 | ▼ 1.2% | 117th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,002 | 1,054 | ▲ 5.2% | 49th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,478 | $47,707 | ▲ 38.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
4,747 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Carlisle County
Utilities with service territory in Carlisle 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% |
| West Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,062 | 13.46¢ | 22% |
| Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,979 | 15.64¢ | 55% |
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,527 | 13.33¢ | 41% |
| City of Bardwell - (KY) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Carlisle County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Carlisle County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,054 | $47,707 | 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 Carlisle County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carlisle County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Carlisle County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Carlisle County, McCracken 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle County | 4,747 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Ballard County | 7,594 | ▲ 20.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Graves County | 37,050 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Hickman County | 4,372 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| McCracken County | 67,553 | ▲ 5.4% | 1,695 MW | 400 MW | 4 | — |
| Mississippi County MO | 12,003 | ▼ 18.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Carlisle County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carlisle County, Kentucky?
5 utilities have service territory in Carlisle County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, West Kentucky Rural E C C, Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation, Gibson Electric Members Corp. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Carlisle County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carlisle County. The nearest activity on record is next door in McCracken County.
Is Carlisle County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,054 jobs in 2025 against 1,002 in 2019 (+5.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Carlisle County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carlisle County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.