Owsley County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
No data center or power plant project is on record in Owsley County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Owsley County is home to Booneville. Next door, Perry County has 490 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 704 jobs in 2025, up 6.3% from 2019. Kentucky Power Co is the largest utility serving Owsley County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.07¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities.
Cities and towns in Owsley County
Owsley County is home to Booneville.
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 Owsley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,034 | 3,932 | ▼ 2.5% | 119th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 662 | 704 | ▲ 6.3% | 40th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $29,708 | $41,815 | ▲ 40.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 4.6% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
3,932 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Owsley County
Utilities with service territory in Owsley County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 130,852 | 15.07¢ | 27% |
| Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,423 | 13.66¢ | 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 Owsley County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Owsley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 704 | $41,815 | 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 Owsley County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Owsley County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Owsley County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Owsley County, Perry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owsley County | 3,932 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Breathitt County | 12,558 | ▼ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 19,465 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 13,325 | ▲ 8.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Lee County | 7,297 | ▲ 4.1% | — | 6 MW | — | — |
| Perry County | 26,555 | ▼ 1.9% | — | 490 MW | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Owsley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Owsley County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Owsley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Power Co, Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Power Co, charged residential customers 15.07¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Owsley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Owsley County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Perry County.
Is Owsley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 704 jobs in 2025 against 662 in 2019 (+6.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Owsley County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Owsley County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.