Jackson County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Annville
Jackson 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. Jackson County is home to McKee. Employers here counted 1,770 jobs in 2025, up 8.0% from 2019. Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp is the largest utility serving Jackson County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.32¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Unemployment was 6.5% in August 2026, against 6.4% in 2019. 13,325 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to McKee.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Annville.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,969 | 13,325 | ▲ 2.7% | 79th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,639 | 1,770 | ▲ 8.0% | 36th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,210 | $42,498 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.4% | 6.5% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Who powers Jackson County
Utilities with service territory in Jackson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 60,641 | 12.32¢ | 14% |
| Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,423 | 13.66¢ | 14% |
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 Jackson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,770 | $42,498 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 40 | $45,901 | 0.43 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Jackson County, Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 13,325 | ▲ 8.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 19,465 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Estill County | 13,962 | ▼ 5.8% | 4 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Laurel County | 63,746 | ▼ 1.7% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Lee County | 7,297 | ▲ 4.1% | — | 6 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 101,696 | ▲ 6.9% | — | 100 MW | — | — |
| Owsley County | 3,932 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Rockcastle County | 16,148 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, charged residential customers 12.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,770 jobs in 2025 against 1,639 in 2019 (+8.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.