Decatur County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Parsons
Decatur 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. Decatur County is home to Parsons and Decaturville. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019. City of Lexington - (TN) is the largest utility serving Decatur County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.04¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 3,364 jobs in 2025, down 0.2% from 2019. 11,820 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Decatur County
Decatur County is home to Parsons and Decaturville.
- Scotts Hill also extends into Henderson 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 Decatur County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,429 | 11,820 | ▲ 3.4% | 87th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,372 | 3,364 | ▼ 0.2% | 69th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,409 | $49,546 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 4.7% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
Who powers Decatur County
Utilities with service territory in Decatur County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Lexington - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 17,961 | 12.04¢ | 37% |
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 Decatur County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Decatur County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,364 | $49,546 | 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 Decatur County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Decatur County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Decatur County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Decatur County, Hardin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County | 11,820 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 16,183 | ▲ 8.4% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 29,200 | ▲ 12.5% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 27,983 | ▲ 4.7% | 312 MW | — | — | — |
| Henderson County | 28,518 | ▲ 1.8% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 9,126 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 16,416 | ▲ 9.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Decatur County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Decatur County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Decatur County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Lexington - (TN). The largest, City of Lexington - (TN), charged residential customers 12.04¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Decatur County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Decatur County.
Is Decatur County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,364 jobs in 2025 against 3,372 in 2019 (-0.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Decatur County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Decatur County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.