Knox County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Barbourville and Corbin
Knox 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. Construction employs 215, up 207.1% since 2019. Knox County is home to Barbourville and part of Corbin (1,839 of its 7,911 residents). Next door, Bell County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 7,528 jobs in 2025, down 4.2% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Knox County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities.
Cities and towns in Knox County
Knox County is home to Barbourville and part of Corbin (1,839 of its 7,911 residents).
- Corbin also extends into Whitley County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Artemus, Flat Lick, North Corbin.
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 Knox County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,186 | 29,532 | ▼ 2.2% | 36th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,862 | 7,528 | ▼ 4.2% | 103rd of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,665 | $45,636 | ▲ 35.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 70 | 215 | ▲ 207.1% | 2nd of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 5.8% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
Unemployment was 5.8% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. 29,532 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Knox County
Utilities with service territory in Knox 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% |
| Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,478 | 12.87¢ | 28% |
| Barbourville Utility Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
| Corbin City Utilities Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Knox County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Knox County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,528 | $45,636 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 215 | $67,461 | 0.54 |
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 Knox County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Knox County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Bell County.
Knox County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Knox County, Bell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | 29,532 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Bell County | 22,829 | ▲ 2.3% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Clay County | 19,465 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Laurel County | 63,746 | ▼ 1.7% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Whitley County | 37,297 | ▲ 23.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Knox County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Knox County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Knox County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc., Barbourville Utility Comm, Corbin City Utilities Comm. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Knox County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Knox County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bell County.
Is Knox County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,528 jobs in 2025 against 7,862 in 2019 (-4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 70 to 215.
Does Knox County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Knox County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.