Hardin County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Elizabethtown, Radcliff and Vine Grove
Hardin 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. Hardin County is home to Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Vine Grove and West Point. Next door, Jefferson County has 18 data centers and 740 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Employers here counted 48,702 jobs in 2025, up 1.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Hardin County
Hardin County is home to Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Vine Grove and West Point.
- Upton also extends into Larue County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cecilia, Fort Knox, Rineyville.
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 Hardin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 110,834 | 113,482 | ▲ 2.4% | 6th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 47,966 | 48,702 | ▲ 1.5% | 76th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,770 | $55,921 | ▲ 27.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Hardin 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. 113,482 people live here, up 2.4% since 2020, 6th of 120 Kentucky counties by population.
Who powers Hardin County
Utilities with service territory in Hardin 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% |
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 384,902 | 12.28¢ | 42% |
| Nolin Rural Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,855 | 13.08¢ | 16% |
| Meade County Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,248 | 14.27¢ | 10% |
| Farmers Rural Electric Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,889 | 13.08¢ | 16% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County LFGTE | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2006 |
The Hardin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 48,702 | $55,921 | 1.00 |
| Power and communication line construction | 29 | $89,288 | 0.37 |
| Data processing and hosting | 39 | $99,914 | 0.26 |
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 Hardin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hardin County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 5 neighboring counties have one: Breckinridge County, Bullitt County, Jefferson County, Meade County.
Hardin County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Hardin County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County | 113,482 | ▲ 1.5% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Breckinridge County | 21,503 | ▲ 8.8% | — | 300 MW | — | 1 |
| Bullitt County | 86,454 | ▲ 12.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Grayson County | 27,406 | ▼ 8.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Harrison County IN | 40,437 | ▼ 1.7% | 1 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Hart County | 20,117 | ▲ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 795,222 | ▲ 2.0% | 2,489 MW | 740 MW | 18 | 1 |
| Larue County | 15,184 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Meade County | 30,699 | ▲ 25.3% | 200 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Nelson County | 49,036 | ▲ 12.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Hardin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hardin County, Kentucky?
5 utilities have service territory in Hardin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Louisville Gas & Electric Co, Nolin Rural Electric Coop Corp, Meade County Rural E C C. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Elizabethtown, KY in?
Elizabethtown is in Hardin County, Kentucky. About 35,448 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Radcliff, KY in?
Radcliff is in Hardin County, Kentucky. About 22,576 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hardin County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Hardin County LFGTE (2 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Hardin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hardin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jefferson County.
Is Hardin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 48,702 jobs in 2025 against 47,966 in 2019 (+1.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hardin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hardin County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.