Graves County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mayfield
Graves County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Graves County is home to Mayfield and Wingo. Electrical contractors employ 79, up 36.2% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $55,949 a year. Next door, McCracken County has 4 data centers and 400 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 442, up 14.2% since 2019. Employers here counted 11,949 jobs in 2025, up 4.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Graves County
Graves County is home to Mayfield and Wingo.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fancy Farm, Farmington, Hickory, Lowes, Pryorsburg, Sedalia, Symsonia, Water Valley.
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 Graves County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,533 | 37,050 | ▲ 1.4% | 29th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,445 | 11,949 | ▲ 4.4% | 56th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,319 | $52,102 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 387 | 442 | ▲ 14.2% | 33rd of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 58 | 79 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
West Kentucky Rural E C C is the largest utility serving Graves County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.46¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. 37,050 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Graves County
Utilities with service territory in Graves County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,062 | 13.46¢ | 22% |
| Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,979 | 15.64¢ | 55% |
| City of Mayfield Plant Board | Municipal | Bundled | 4,348 | 13.37¢ | 54% |
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,527 | 13.33¢ | 41% |
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 Graves County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Graves County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,949 | $52,102 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 442 | $55,122 | 0.70 |
| Electrical contractors | 79 | $55,949 | 0.92 |
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 Graves County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Graves County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Graves County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Graves 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graves County | 37,050 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Calloway County | 39,421 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Carlisle County | 4,747 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Henry County TN | 32,896 | ▲ 3.3% | 7 MW | 50 MW | 1 | — |
| Hickman County | 4,372 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 31,659 | ▲ 1.9% | 933 MW | — | 4 | — |
| McCracken County | 67,553 | ▲ 5.4% | 1,695 MW | 400 MW | 4 | — |
| Weakley County TN | 33,261 | ▼ 3.2% | 568 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Graves County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Graves County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Graves County in the EIA-861 2024 report: West Kentucky Rural E C C, Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation, City of Mayfield Plant Board, Gibson Electric Members Corp. The largest, West Kentucky Rural E C C, charged residential customers 13.46¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Graves County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Graves County. The nearest activity on record is next door in McCracken County.
Is Graves County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,949 jobs in 2025 against 11,445 in 2019 (+4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 387 to 442.
Does Graves County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Graves County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.