Franklin County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Frankfort
No data center or power plant project is on record in Franklin County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Franklin County is home to Frankfort. Next door, Shelby County has 2 data centers. Employers here counted 35,322 jobs in 2025, up 10.8% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Franklin 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. Electrical contractors employ 316, down 13.7% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $62,355 a year.
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to Frankfort.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 51,600 | 52,649 | ▲ 2.0% | 19th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31,882 | 35,322 | ▲ 10.8% | 25th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,651 | $62,637 | ▲ 40.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 366 | 316 | ▼ 13.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 82 | 96 | ▲ 17.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.6% | ● 0.0pts | — |
52,649 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Who powers Franklin County
Utilities with service territory in Franklin 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% |
| Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 60,641 | 12.32¢ | 14% |
| Shelby Energy Coop, Inc - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,437 | 13.21¢ | 18% |
| City of Frankfort - (KY) | Municipal | Bundled | 17,200 | 11.23¢ | 42% |
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 Franklin County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 35,322 | $62,637 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 316 | $62,355 | 1.24 |
| Power and communication line construction | 95 | $95,102 | 1.67 |
| Data processing and hosting | 96 | $136,700 | 0.87 |
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 Franklin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Franklin County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Scott County, Shelby County, Woodford County.
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Franklin County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 52,649 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Anderson County | 25,225 | ▲ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 16,447 | ▲ 9.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Owen County | 11,601 | ▲ 18.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 62,262 | ▲ 16.4% | 2 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Shelby County | 51,243 | ▲ 0.6% | 2 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Woodford County | 27,883 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, Shelby Energy Coop, Inc - (KY), City of Frankfort - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Frankfort, KY in?
Frankfort is in Franklin County, Kentucky. About 28,657 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Franklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shelby County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 35,322 jobs in 2025 against 31,882 in 2019 (+10.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Franklin County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.