Clay County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Manchester
No data center or power plant project is on record in Clay County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Clay County is home to Manchester. Next door, Perry County has 490 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 107, up 7.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 4,088 jobs in 2025, up 4.4% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Manchester.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Oneida.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,308 | 19,465 | ▼ 4.2% | 63rd of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,915 | 4,088 | ▲ 4.4% | 55th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,511 | $48,346 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 100 | 107 | ▲ 7.0% | 42nd of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 5.6% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. 19,465 people live here, down 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Clay County
Utilities with service territory in Clay 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% |
| Kentucky Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 130,852 | 15.07¢ | 27% |
| Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,423 | 13.66¢ | 14% |
| Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,478 | 12.87¢ | 28% |
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 Clay County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,088 | $48,346 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 107 | $47,906 | 0.49 |
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 Clay County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clay County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Bell County.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Clay County, Perry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 19,465 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Bell County | 22,829 | ▲ 2.3% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jackson County | 13,325 | ▲ 8.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 29,532 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Laurel County | 63,746 | ▼ 1.7% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Leslie County | 9,627 | ▼ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Owsley County | 3,932 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 26,555 | ▼ 1.9% | — | 490 MW | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Kentucky Power Co, Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY), Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc.. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Perry County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,088 jobs in 2025 against 3,915 in 2019 (+4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 100 to 107.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.