Dyer County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dyersburg and Newbern
No data center or power plant project is on record in Dyer County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Dyer County is home to Dyersburg, Newbern and Trimble. Next door, Mississippi County, Arkansas, has 2,250 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 16,780 jobs in 2025, up 9.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Gibson Electric Members Corp is the largest utility serving Dyer County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.00¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities.
Cities and towns in Dyer County
Dyer County is home to Dyersburg, Newbern and Trimble.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bogota, Finley, Fowlkes, Lenox, Miston.
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 Dyer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,710 | 36,320 | ▼ 1.1% | 44th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,337 | 16,780 | ▲ 9.4% | 26th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,936 | $56,010 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 155 | 141 | ▼ 9.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 3.4% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
Electrical contractors employ 141, down 9.0% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $59,460 a year. 36,320 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Dyer County
Utilities with service territory in Dyer County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,331 | 13.00¢ | 26% |
| City of Dyersburg | Municipal | Bundled | 9,475 | 11.15¢ | 37% |
| Forked Deer Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,345 | 14.33¢ | 16% |
| City of Newbern | Municipal | Bundled | 1,495 | 10.34¢ | 21% |
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 Dyer County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Dyer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,780 | $56,010 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 141 | $59,460 | 1.17 |
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 Dyer County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dyer County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Dyer County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Dyer County, Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyer County | 36,320 | ▲ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Crockett County | 14,006 | ▲ 2.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Gibson County | 51,779 | ▲ 12.3% | 7 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Lake County | 6,249 | ▼ 9.3% | 177 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Lauderdale County | 24,617 | ▼ 6.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Mississippi County AR | 37,828 | ▲ 11.0% | 1,927 MW | 2,250 MW | — | — |
| Obion County | 30,067 | ▲ 9.0% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Pemiscot County MO | 14,465 | ▼ 13.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Dyer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dyer County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Dyer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Gibson Electric Members Corp, City of Dyersburg, Forked Deer Electric Coop, Inc, City of Newbern. The largest, Gibson Electric Members Corp, charged residential customers 13.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dyersburg, TN in?
Dyersburg is in Dyer County, Tennessee. About 15,906 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Dyer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dyer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mississippi County.
Is Dyer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,780 jobs in 2025 against 15,337 in 2019 (+9.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Dyer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dyer County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.