Pendleton County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Falmouth
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pendleton County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pendleton County is home to Falmouth and Butler. Employers here counted 2,224 jobs in 2025, down 4.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Electrical contractors employ 10, at an average $69,520 a year. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Pendleton 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 Pendleton County
Pendleton County is home to Falmouth and Butler.
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 Pendleton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,641 | 14,800 | ▲ 1.1% | 75th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,326 | 2,224 | ▼ 4.4% | 104th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,496 | $56,461 | ▲ 39.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 14,800 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Pendleton County
Utilities with service territory in Pendleton 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% |
| Duke Energy Kentucky | Investor Owned | Bundled | 139,405 | 13.44¢ | 44% |
| Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 63,984 | 12.55¢ | 7% |
| Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 60,641 | 12.32¢ | 14% |
| City of Falmouth - (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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton County LFGTE | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2007 |
The Pendleton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,224 | $56,461 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 10 | $69,520 | 0.62 |
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 Pendleton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pendleton County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Pendleton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pendleton County, Harrison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton County | 14,800 | ▼ 4.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Bracken County | 8,511 | ▲ 27.7% | 105 MW | — | — | — |
| Campbell County | 95,441 | ▲ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Clermont County OH | 216,977 | ▲ 5.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 26,181 | ▲ 11.6% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 19,627 | ▲ 3.5% | 100 MW | 70 MW | — | — |
| Kenton County | 175,779 | ▲ 10.9% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Pendleton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pendleton County, Kentucky?
5 utilities have service territory in Pendleton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Duke Energy Kentucky, Owen Electric Coop Inc, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pendleton County?
1 operating plant with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Pendleton County LFGTE (3 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Pendleton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pendleton County.
Is Pendleton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,224 jobs in 2025 against 2,326 in 2019 (-4.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pendleton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pendleton County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.