Kenton County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Covington, Independence and Erlanger
Kenton 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. Kenton County is home to Covington, Independence, Erlanger and Elsmere. Next door, Hamilton County, Ohio, has 13 data centers. Employers here counted 75,385 jobs in 2025, up 10.9% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 497, up 19.8% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $70,409 a year. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Kenton County
Kenton County is home to Covington, Independence, Erlanger and Elsmere.
- Walton also extends into Boone County.
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 Kenton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 169,263 | 175,779 | ▲ 3.8% | 3rd of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 67,975 | 75,385 | ▲ 10.9% | 24th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,102 | $72,992 | ▲ 25.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 415 | 497 | ▲ 19.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 39 | ▲ 160.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Kentucky is the largest utility serving Kenton County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.44¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 175,779 people live here, up 3.8% since 2020, 3rd of 120 Kentucky counties by population.
Who powers Kenton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kenton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Kentucky | Investor Owned | Bundled | 139,405 | 13.44¢ | 44% |
| Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 63,984 | 12.55¢ | 7% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walton 1 Solar Facility | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
| Walton 2 Solar Facility | Duke Energy Kentucky Inc | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
| RA Jones Roof Mounted Solar System | RA Jones | Solar | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Kenton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 75,385 | $72,992 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 497 | $70,409 | 0.91 |
| Electric utilities | 121 | $125,699 | 0.59 |
| Data processing and hosting | 39 | $127,010 | 0.17 |
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 Kenton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kenton County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Boone County.
Kenton County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Kenton County, Hamilton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenton County | 175,779 | ▲ 10.9% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 145,316 | ▲ 10.6% | 780 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Campbell County | 95,441 | ▲ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 26,181 | ▲ 11.6% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County OH | 838,418 | ▼ 1.2% | 1,238 MW | — | 13 | — |
| Pendleton County | 14,800 | ▼ 4.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Kenton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kenton County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Kenton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Kentucky, Owen Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Kentucky, charged residential customers 13.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Covington, KY in?
Covington is in Kenton County, Kentucky. About 41,847 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Independence, KY in?
Independence is in Kenton County, Kentucky. About 30,198 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Erlanger, KY in?
Erlanger is in Kenton County, Kentucky. About 20,158 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kenton County?
3 operating plants with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Walton 1 Solar Facility (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Kenton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kenton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hamilton County.
Is Kenton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 75,385 jobs in 2025 against 67,975 in 2019 (+10.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kenton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kenton County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.