Union County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morganfield and Sturgis
Union 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. Construction employs 366, up 302.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Union County is home to Morganfield, Sturgis and Uniontown. Next door, Posey County, Indiana, has 250 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 5,284 jobs in 2025, up 5.0% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Union County, one of 2 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 Union County
Union County is home to Morganfield, Sturgis and Uniontown.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Breckinridge Center.
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 Union County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,644 | 12,839 | ▼ 5.9% | 85th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,033 | 5,284 | ▲ 5.0% | 51st of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,820 | $60,675 | ▲ 26.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 91 | 366 | ▲ 302.2% | 1st of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
12,839 people live here, down 5.9% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Who powers Union County
Utilities with service territory in Union 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% |
| Kenergy Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,292 | 15.15¢ | 6% |
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 Union County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Union County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,284 | $60,675 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 366 | $75,098 | 1.31 |
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 Union County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Union County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Union County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Union County, Posey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 12,839 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Crittenden County | 8,807 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Gallatin County IL | 4,616 | ▼ 22.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Hardin County IL | 3,588 | ▲ 21.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Henderson County | 44,255 | ▼ 3.2% | 560 MW | 51 MW | — | — |
| Posey County IN | 24,988 | ▼ 2.5% | 946 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
| Webster County | 12,929 | ▼ 7.9% | 685 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Union County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Union County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Union County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Kenergy Corp. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Union County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Union County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Posey County.
Is Union County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,284 jobs in 2025 against 5,033 in 2019 (+5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 91 to 366.
Does Union County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Union County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.