Letcher County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jenkins and Whitesburg
No data center or power plant project is on record in Letcher County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Letcher County is home to Jenkins, Whitesburg and Fleming-Neon. Next door, Perry County has 490 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 5.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 4,130 jobs in 2025, down 5.2% from 2019. Kentucky Power Co is the largest utility serving Letcher 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.
Cities and towns in Letcher County
Letcher County is home to Jenkins, Whitesburg and Fleming-Neon.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Mayking, McRoberts, Millstone, Payne Gap.
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 Letcher County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,465 | 19,952 | ▼ 7.0% | 60th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,355 | 4,130 | ▼ 5.2% | 105th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,335 | $46,982 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57 | 71 | ▲ 24.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.7% | 4.7% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
19,952 people live here, down 7.0% since 2020.
Who powers Letcher County
Utilities with service territory in Letcher 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% |
| Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,478 | 12.87¢ | 28% |
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 Letcher County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Letcher County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,130 | $46,982 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 71 | $43,373 | 0.32 |
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 Letcher County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Letcher County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Letcher County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Letcher County, Perry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County | 19,952 | ▼ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Harlan County | 24,725 | ▲ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Knott County | 13,321 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 26,555 | ▼ 1.9% | — | 490 MW | — | — |
| Pike County | 54,721 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Wise County VA | 34,824 | ▼ 6.2% | 671 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
More of Kentucky
Letcher County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Letcher County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Letcher County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Power Co, Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc.. The largest, Kentucky Power Co, charged residential customers 15.07¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Letcher County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Letcher County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Perry County.
Is Letcher County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,130 jobs in 2025 against 4,355 in 2019 (-5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 57 to 71.
Does Letcher County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Letcher County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.