Nicholas County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Carlisle
Nicholas 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. Nicholas County is home to Carlisle. Employers here counted 962 jobs in 2025, up 12.1% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Nicholas 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. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 7,949 people live here, up 5.4% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Nicholas County
Nicholas County is home to Carlisle.
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 Nicholas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,542 | 7,949 | ▲ 5.4% | 109th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 858 | 962 | ▲ 12.1% | 19th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $28,556 | $37,192 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
Who powers Nicholas County
Utilities with service territory in Nicholas 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% |
| Fleming-Mason Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,666 | 13.05¢ | 14% |
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 Nicholas County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Nicholas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 962 | $37,192 | 1.00 |
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 Nicholas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Nicholas County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Nicholas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Nicholas County, Fleming 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas County | 7,949 | ▲ 12.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Bath County | 13,176 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Bourbon County | 20,243 | ▲ 4.0% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Fleming County | 15,787 | ▲ 2.3% | — | 188 MW | — | — |
| Harrison County | 19,627 | ▲ 3.5% | 100 MW | 70 MW | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 28,822 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Robertson County | 2,325 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Nicholas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nicholas County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in Nicholas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, Fleming-Mason Energy Coop Inc. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Nicholas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nicholas County.
Is Nicholas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 962 jobs in 2025 against 858 in 2019 (+12.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Nicholas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nicholas County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.