Rockcastle County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mount Vernon and Brodhead
No data center or power plant project is on record in Rockcastle County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Rockcastle County is home to Mount Vernon and Brodhead. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Rockcastle County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Employers here counted 3,837 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. 16,148 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Rockcastle County
Rockcastle County is home to Mount Vernon and Brodhead.
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 Rockcastle County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,057 | 16,148 | ▲ 0.6% | 71st of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,839 | 3,837 | ▼ 0.1% | 86th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,343 | $43,848 | ▲ 24.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.9% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Who powers Rockcastle County
Utilities with service territory in Rockcastle 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% |
| South Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 64,877 | 12.92¢ | 8% |
| Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,423 | 13.66¢ | 14% |
| Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,655 | 13.74¢ | 10% |
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 Rockcastle County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Rockcastle County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,837 | $43,848 | 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 Rockcastle County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rockcastle County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Rockcastle County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Rockcastle County, Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockcastle County | 16,148 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Garrard County | 18,207 | ▲ 26.4% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 13,325 | ▲ 8.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Laurel County | 63,746 | ▼ 1.7% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 25,353 | ▲ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 101,696 | ▲ 6.9% | — | 100 MW | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 67,384 | ▲ 1.8% | 344 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Rockcastle County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rockcastle County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Rockcastle County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, South Kentucky Rural E C C, Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY), Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Rockcastle County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rockcastle County.
Is Rockcastle County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,837 jobs in 2025 against 3,839 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Rockcastle County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rockcastle County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.