Johnson County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Paintsville
Johnson 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. Johnson County is home to Paintsville. Next door, Floyd County has 2 data centers. Construction employs 148, up 2.1% since 2019. Employers here counted 5,322 jobs in 2025, up 3.0% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 26, down 3.7% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $88,290 a year.
Cities and towns in Johnson County
Johnson County is home to Paintsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Van Lear, West Van Lear.
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 Johnson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,648 | 22,051 | ▼ 2.6% | 53rd of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,167 | 5,322 | ▲ 3.0% | 64th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,562 | $45,814 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 145 | 148 | ▲ 2.1% | 48th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27 | 26 | ▼ 3.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 5.7% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
Kentucky Power Co is the largest utility serving Johnson County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.07¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. 22,051 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Johnson County
Utilities with service territory in Johnson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 130,852 | 15.07¢ | 27% |
| Big Sandy Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,574 | 13.69¢ | 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.
No operating power plant is located in Johnson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Johnson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,322 | $45,814 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 148 | $61,479 | 0.52 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $88,290 | 0.68 |
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 Johnson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Johnson County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Johnson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Johnson County, Lawrence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 22,051 | ▲ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 34,401 | ▲ 4.6% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Lawrence County | 15,765 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,430 MW | — | — | — |
| Magoffin County | 11,110 | ▲ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Martin County | 10,697 | ▼ 22.2% | 111 MW | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 14,415 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Johnson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Johnson County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Johnson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Power Co, Big Sandy Rural Elec Coop Corp. The largest, Kentucky Power Co, charged residential customers 15.07¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Johnson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Johnson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Floyd County.
Is Johnson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,322 jobs in 2025 against 5,167 in 2019 (+3.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 145 to 148.
Does Johnson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Johnson County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.