Livingston County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Burna and Ledbetter
Livingston 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 787, up 138.5% since 2019, and construction is 4.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 3,489 jobs in 2025, up 35.9% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 120 Kentucky counties). Livingston County is home to Salem. Next door, McCracken County has 4 data centers and 400 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 76 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Livingston County
Livingston County is home to Salem.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burna, Ledbetter.
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 Livingston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,871 | 8,863 | ▼ 0.1% | 104th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,568 | 3,489 | ▲ 35.9% | 1st of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,558 | $65,173 | ▲ 37.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 330 | 787 | ▲ 138.5% | 3rd of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.5% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Livingston County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. 8,863 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Livingston County
Utilities with service territory in Livingston 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% |
| Kenergy Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,292 | 15.15¢ | 6% |
| Pennyrile Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 40,645 | 13.16¢ | 26% |
| West Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,062 | 13.46¢ | 22% |
| Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,979 | 15.64¢ | 55% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 76 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithland Hydroelectric Plant | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Hydro | 76 MW | 2017 |
The Livingston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,489 | $65,173 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 787 | $88,300 | 4.26 |
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 Livingston County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Livingston County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Lyon County.
Livingston County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Livingston County, McCracken 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Livingston County | 8,863 | ▲ 35.9% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Crittenden County | 8,807 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Hardin County IL | 3,588 | ▲ 21.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Lyon County | 9,123 | ▲ 0.8% | 216 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marshall County | 31,659 | ▲ 1.9% | 933 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Massac County IL | 13,502 | ▼ 7.3% | — | 2 MW | 1 | — |
| McCracken County | 67,553 | ▲ 5.4% | 1,695 MW | 400 MW | 4 | — |
| Pope County IL | 3,672 | ▼ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Livingston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Livingston County, Kentucky?
5 utilities have service territory in Livingston County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Kenergy Corp, Pennyrile Rural Electric Coop, West Kentucky Rural E C C. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Livingston County?
1 operating plant with 76 MW of capacity. The largest is Smithland Hydroelectric Plant (76 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Livingston County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Livingston County. The nearest activity on record is next door in McCracken County.
Is Livingston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,489 jobs in 2025 against 2,568 in 2019 (+35.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 330 to 787.
Does Livingston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Livingston County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.