McCracken County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Paducah
McCracken County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in McCracken County, 7% of Kentucky's total. McCracken County is home to Paducah. Owners plan to retire 1,400 MW more by 2035, led by Shawnee in 2033. Construction employs 2,426, up 29.0% since 2019. 400 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by GGSO, LLC (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among Kentucky's counties.
Cities and towns in McCracken County
McCracken County is home to Paducah.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Farley, Hendron, Massac, Reidland.
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 McCracken County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 67,923 | 67,553 | ▼ 0.5% | 13th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38,893 | 40,975 | ▲ 5.4% | 48th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,459 | $59,309 | ▲ 30.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,881 | 2,426 | ▲ 29.0% | 24th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 400 MW | 24% of today's fleet | 3rd of 17 by size |
Its power plants have 1,695 MW of capacity, 93% of it coal, the 5th largest fleet in Kentucky. Employers here counted 40,975 jobs in 2025, up 5.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving McCracken County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. 67,553 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers McCracken County
Utilities with service territory in McCracken 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% |
| Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,979 | 15.64¢ | 55% |
| City of Paducah - (KY) | Municipal | Bundled | 18,863 | 15.55¢ | 56% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,575 MW | 93% |
| Natural gas | 120 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee | Tennessee Valley Authority | Coal | 1,575 MW | 1953 |
| PPS Power Plant No 1 | Paducah Power System | Natural gas | 120 MW | 2010 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gage Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | GGSO, LLC |
| Mayfield Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | BrightNight Power |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee | Coal | 1,400 MW | 2033 |
The McCracken County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,975 | $59,309 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,426 | $68,843 | 1.12 |
| Power and communication line construction | 52 | $86,627 | 0.79 |
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 McCracken County
4 data centers in McCracken County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
McCracken County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border McCracken County, Pulaski 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCracken County | 67,553 | ▲ 5.4% | 1,695 MW | 400 MW | 4 | — |
| Ballard County | 7,594 | ▲ 20.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Carlisle County | 4,747 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Graves County | 37,050 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Livingston County | 8,863 | ▲ 35.9% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 31,659 | ▲ 1.9% | 933 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Massac County IL | 13,502 | ▼ 7.3% | — | 2 MW | 1 | — |
| Pulaski County IL | 4,820 | ▼ 22.9% | 5 MW | 417 MW | — | — |
More of Kentucky
McCracken County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McCracken County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in McCracken County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation, City of Paducah - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Paducah, KY in?
Paducah is in McCracken County, Kentucky. About 26,730 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in McCracken County?
2 operating plants with 1,695 MW of capacity. The largest is Shawnee (1,575 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in McCracken County?
400 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is GGSO, LLC.
Are there data centers in McCracken County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in McCracken County.
Is McCracken County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,975 jobs in 2025 against 38,893 in 2019 (+5.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,881 to 2,426.
Does McCracken County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McCracken County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.