Davidson County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Nashville, Goodlettsville and Oak Hill
Davidson County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 24 data centers in Davidson County, 32% of Tennessee's total. Davidson County and the city of Nashville share the same boundaries; Goodlettsville, Oak Hill, Forest Hills also lie inside it. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Data center permit moratorium plus zoning regulations”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including DC Blox Nashville Zoo-Area Data Center. Construction employs 31,710, up 30.6% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Davidson County
Davidson County and the city of Nashville share the same boundaries; Goodlettsville, Oak Hill, Forest Hills also lie inside it.
- Goodlettsville also extends into Sumner County.
- Ridgetop also extends into Robertson County.
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 Davidson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 716,153 | 745,904 | ▲ 4.2% | 2nd of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 512,729 | 554,677 | ▲ 8.2% | 35th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $62,146 | $86,199 | ▲ 38.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,287 | 31,710 | ▲ 30.6% | 25th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,414 | 5,212 | ▲ 18.1% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 867 | 2,497 | ▲ 188.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,576 | 2,182 | ▼ 15.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 5,212, up 18.1% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $85,114 a year. Employers here counted 554,677 jobs in 2025, up 8.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 53 MW of capacity, 53% of it hydro. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Nashville Electric Service is the largest utility serving Davidson County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. 745,904 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020, 2nd of 95 Tennessee counties by population.
Who powers Davidson County
Utilities with service territory in Davidson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Electric Service | Municipal | Bundled | 417,640 | 13.47¢ | 50% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 28 MW | 53% |
| Natural gas | 23 MW | 44% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J P Priest | USCE-Nashville District | Hydro | 28 MW | 1970 |
| Vanderbilt University Power Plant | Vanderbilt University | Natural gas | 19 MW | 2002 |
| Opryland USA | Gaylord Entertainment Co | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1995 |
| Music City Community Solar | Nashville Electric Service | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
The Davidson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 554,677 | $86,199 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 31,710 | $94,089 | 1.08 |
| Electrical contractors | 5,212 | $85,114 | 1.30 |
| Power and communication line construction | 2,497 | $106,721 | 2.79 |
| Electric utilities | 245 | $207,635 | 0.16 |
| Data processing and hosting | 2,182 | $143,195 | 1.27 |
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 Davidson County
24 data centers in Davidson County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data center permit moratorium plus zoning regulations | In force | 2026-07 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Blox Nashville Zoo-Area Data Center | active litigation | — |
Davidson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Davidson County, Sumner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | 745,904 | ▲ 8.2% | 53 MW | — | 24 | 1 |
| Cheatham County | 42,778 | ▲ 14.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Robertson County | 80,175 | ▲ 5.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Rutherford County | 386,352 | ▲ 10.8% | 8 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Sumner County | 215,538 | ▲ 12.7% | 2,022 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Williamson County | 272,061 | ▲ 8.1% | — | — | 7 | — |
| Wilson County | 175,033 | ▲ 34.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Davidson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Davidson County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Davidson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nashville Electric Service. The largest, Nashville Electric Service, charged residential customers 13.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Nashville, TN in?
Nashville is in Davidson County, Tennessee. About 721,074 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Goodlettsville, TN in?
Most of Goodlettsville is in Davidson County: 11,220 of its 17,506 residents, or 64%. The rest of the city lies in Sumner County.
What power plants are in Davidson County?
4 operating plants with 53 MW of capacity. The largest is J P Priest (28 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Davidson County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 24 data centers in Davidson County.
Is Davidson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 554,677 jobs in 2025 against 512,729 in 2019 (+8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 24,287 to 31,710.
Does Davidson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Davidson County, 1 in force.