Franklin County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Winchester, Estill Springs and Decherd
Franklin County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Franklin County is home to Winchester, Estill Springs, Decherd and Cowan. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Bitcoin Mining Data Center (35 MW). Construction employs 352, down 4.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 46 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Electrical contractors employ 42, at an average $53,040 a year.
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to Winchester, Estill Springs, Decherd and Cowan.
- Tullahoma also extends into Coffee County.
- Monteagle also extends into Grundy County, Marion County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Belvidere, Sewanee, Sherwood.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,842 | 45,579 | ▲ 6.4% | 36th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,570 | 11,323 | ▼ 2.1% | 77th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,039 | $54,031 | ▲ 38.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 369 | 352 | ▼ 4.6% | 50th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 11,323 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Duck River Elec Member Corp is the largest utility serving Franklin County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.50¢/kWh in 2024. 45,579 people live here, up 6.4% since 2020.
Who powers Franklin County
Utilities with service territory in Franklin County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duck River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 71,342 | 12.50¢ | 27% |
| City of Fayetteville | Municipal | Bundled | 16,667 | 11.93¢ | 26% |
| Tullahoma Board-Public Utils | Municipal | Bundled | 9,278 | 11.18¢ | 48% |
| City of Winchester - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 5,292 | 11.81¢ | 42% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 46 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tims Ford | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 46 MW | 1972 |
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,323 | $54,031 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 352 | $55,644 | 0.59 |
| Electrical contractors | 42 | $53,040 | 0.51 |
| Data processing and hosting | 20 | $125,730 | 0.57 |
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 Franklin County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin Mining Data Center | denied | 35 MW |
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Franklin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 45,579 | ▼ 2.1% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 62,419 | ▼ 1.0% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Grundy County | 14,116 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County AL | 54,281 | ▼ 3.1% | 14 MW | 200 MW | 2 | — |
| Lincoln County | 36,853 | ▼ 2.3% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County AL | 433,516 | ▲ 14.1% | 43 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Marion County | 29,804 | ▲ 11.1% | 104 MW | — | — | — |
| Moore County | 6,920 | ▲ 7.8% | — | 200 MW | — | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duck River Elec Member Corp, City of Fayetteville, Tullahoma Board-Public Utils, City of Winchester - (TN). The largest, Duck River Elec Member Corp, charged residential customers 12.50¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Winchester, TN in?
Winchester is in Franklin County, Tennessee. About 10,438 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Franklin County?
1 operating plant with 46 MW of capacity. The largest is Tims Ford (46 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Franklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Madison County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,323 jobs in 2025 against 11,570 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 369 to 352.
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Franklin County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.