Owen County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Owenton
Owen 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. Owen County is home to Owenton. Employers here counted 1,592 jobs in 2025, up 18.6% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 120 Kentucky counties). Next door, Carroll County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Owen 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.
Cities and towns in Owen County
Owen County is home to Owenton.
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 Owen County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,303 | 11,601 | ▲ 2.6% | 93rd of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,342 | 1,592 | ▲ 18.6% | 10th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,558 | $52,580 | ▲ 26.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
11,601 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Owen County
Utilities with service territory in Owen 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% |
| Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 63,984 | 12.55¢ | 7% |
| Shelby Energy Coop, Inc - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,437 | 13.21¢ | 18% |
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 Owen County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Owen County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,592 | $52,580 | 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 Owen County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Owen County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Scott County.
Owen County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Owen County, Carroll 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen County | 11,601 | ▲ 18.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 11,141 | ▲ 11.0% | 2,226 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Franklin County | 52,649 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Gallatin County | 8,840 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 26,181 | ▲ 11.6% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 16,447 | ▲ 9.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 62,262 | ▲ 16.4% | 2 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Owen County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Owen County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in Owen County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Owen Electric Coop Inc, Shelby Energy Coop, Inc - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Owen County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Owen County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Carroll County.
Is Owen County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,592 jobs in 2025 against 1,342 in 2019 (+18.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Owen County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Owen County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.