Nelson County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bardstown and Bloomfield
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Nelson County. Nelson County is home to Bardstown, Bloomfield and New Haven. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Employers here counted 18,432 jobs in 2025, up 12.4% from 2019. Construction employs 1,498, up 5.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Nelson 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.
Cities and towns in Nelson County
Nelson County is home to Bardstown, Bloomfield and New Haven.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Boston, Chaplin, New Hope.
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 Nelson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 46,785 | 49,036 | ▲ 4.8% | 21st of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,393 | 18,432 | ▲ 12.4% | 17th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,869 | $58,405 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,418 | 1,498 | ▲ 5.6% | 44th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 49,036 people live here, up 4.8% since 2020.
Who powers Nelson County
Utilities with service territory in Nelson 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% |
| Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 60,641 | 12.32¢ | 14% |
| Salt River Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,479 | 10.88¢ | 23% |
| Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,655 | 13.74¢ | 10% |
| City of Bardstown - (KY) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Nelson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Nelson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,432 | $58,405 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,498 | $67,878 | 1.53 |
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 Nelson County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-07 |
Nelson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Nelson County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County | 49,036 | ▲ 12.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Anderson County | 25,225 | ▲ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Bullitt County | 86,454 | ▲ 12.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hardin County | 113,482 | ▲ 1.5% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Larue County | 15,184 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 20,115 | ▲ 1.9% | — | 96 MW | — | — |
| Spencer County | 20,998 | ▲ 10.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 12,368 | ▲ 6.1% | — | 120 MW | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Nelson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nelson County, Kentucky?
5 utilities have service territory in Nelson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, Salt River Electric Coop Corp, Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bardstown, KY in?
Bardstown is in Nelson County, Kentucky. About 14,161 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Nelson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nelson County.
Is Nelson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,432 jobs in 2025 against 16,393 in 2019 (+12.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,418 to 1,498.
Does Nelson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Nelson County, 1 in force.