Lincoln County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Stanford
Lincoln 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. Lincoln County is home to Stanford and Crab Orchard. Next door, Casey County has 217 MW of planned generation. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Lincoln 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. Employers here counted 3,987 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019. 25,353 people live here, up 4.6% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
Lincoln County is home to Stanford and Crab Orchard.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): McKinney.
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 Lincoln County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,249 | 25,353 | ▲ 4.6% | 45th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,983 | 3,987 | ▲ 0.1% | 85th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,343 | $46,905 | ▲ 36.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 76 | 61 | ▼ 19.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.6% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 61, down 19.7% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $50,142 a year.
Who powers Lincoln County
Utilities with service territory in Lincoln 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% |
| South Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 64,877 | 12.92¢ | 8% |
| Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,423 | 13.66¢ | 14% |
| Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,655 | 13.74¢ | 10% |
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 Lincoln County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lincoln County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,987 | $46,905 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 61 | $50,142 | 2.12 |
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 Lincoln County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lincoln County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Boyle County.
Lincoln County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lincoln County, Casey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 25,353 | ▲ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Boyle County | 31,632 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Casey County | 16,205 | ▲ 1.2% | — | 217 MW | — | — |
| Garrard County | 18,207 | ▲ 26.4% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 67,384 | ▲ 1.8% | 344 MW | — | — | — |
| Rockcastle County | 16,148 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Lincoln County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lincoln County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Lincoln County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, South Kentucky Rural E C C, Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY), Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Lincoln County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lincoln County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Casey County.
Is Lincoln County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,987 jobs in 2025 against 3,983 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lincoln County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.