Perry County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hazard
Perry County is a generation frontier for Kentucky. Electrical contractors employ 112, up 148.9% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $64,173 a year. Perry County is home to Hazard. 490 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by BrightNight Power (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Kentucky's counties. Employers here counted 11,306 jobs in 2025, down 1.9% from 2019. Kentucky Power Co is the largest utility serving Perry County. Its residential customers paid an average 15.07¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities.
Cities and towns in Perry County
Perry County is home to Hazard.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Combs, Diablock, Jeff.
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 Perry County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,370 | 26,555 | ▼ 6.4% | 42nd of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,527 | 11,306 | ▼ 1.9% | 92nd of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,039 | $53,116 | ▲ 36.1% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 45 | 112 | ▲ 148.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 490 MW | no fleet today | 2nd of 17 by size |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. 26,555 people live here, down 6.4% since 2020.
Who powers Perry County
Utilities with service territory in Perry 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% |
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 Perry County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starfire Mountain Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 410 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | BrightNight Power |
| Bright Mountain Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Avangrid Power LLC |
The Perry County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,306 | $53,116 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 112 | $64,173 | 1.37 |
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 Perry County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Perry County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Perry County and its neighbors
None of the 7 counties bordering Perry County has a data center, a power plant or planned generation on record.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 26,555 | ▼ 1.9% | — | 490 MW | — | — |
| Breathitt County | 12,558 | ▼ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 19,465 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Harlan County | 24,725 | ▲ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Knott County | 13,321 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Leslie County | 9,627 | ▼ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Letcher County | 19,952 | ▼ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Owsley County | 3,932 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Perry County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Perry County, Kentucky?
1 utility has service territory in Perry County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Power Co. The largest, Kentucky Power Co, charged residential customers 15.07¢/kWh on average in 2024.
How much new power is planned in Perry County?
490 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is BrightNight Power.
Are there data centers in Perry County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Perry County.
Is Perry County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,306 jobs in 2025 against 11,527 in 2019 (-1.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Perry County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Perry County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.