Daviess County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Owensboro
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Daviess County. Daviess County is home to Owensboro and Whitesville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month data center moratorium”. 445 MW has retired here since 2019, including Elmer Smith (coal, 445 MW, 2020). Construction employs 2,280, up 11.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 47,804 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Daviess County
Daviess County is home to Owensboro and Whitesville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Curdsville, Knottsville, Maceo, Masonville, Moseleyville, Panther, Philpot, Pleasant Ridge, Sorgho, St. Joseph, Stanley, Thruston, Utica, West Louisville, Yelvington.
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 Daviess County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 103,398 | 104,898 | ▲ 1.5% | 7th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46,104 | 47,804 | ▲ 3.7% | 61st of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,816 | $56,466 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,045 | 2,280 | ▲ 11.5% | 36th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 445 MW | — |
Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Daviess County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 104,898 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020, 7th of 120 Kentucky counties by population.
Who powers Daviess County
Utilities with service territory in Daviess 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% |
| Kenergy Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,292 | 15.15¢ | 6% |
| City of Owensboro - (KY) | Municipal | Bundled | 23,286 | 13.42¢ | 32% |
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 Daviess County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elmer Smith | Coal | 445 MW | 2020 |
The Daviess County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 47,804 | $56,466 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,280 | $62,240 | 0.90 |
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 Daviess County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Daviess County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Daviess County, Spencer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daviess County | 104,898 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hancock County | 9,050 | ▼ 11.5% | 176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Henderson County | 44,255 | ▼ 3.2% | 560 MW | 51 MW | — | — |
| McLean County | 9,064 | ▼ 14.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Ohio County | 23,934 | ▼ 5.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Spencer County IN | 20,061 | ▲ 0.8% | 2,652 MW | — | — | — |
| Warrick County IN | 66,803 | ▲ 9.4% | 1,192 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Daviess County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Daviess County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in Daviess County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Kenergy Corp, City of Owensboro - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Owensboro, KY in?
Owensboro is in Daviess County, Kentucky. About 60,892 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Daviess County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Daviess County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Warrick County.
Is Daviess County adding jobs?
Employers counted 47,804 jobs in 2025 against 46,104 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,045 to 2,280.
Does Daviess County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Daviess County, 1 in force.