Grainger County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bean Station, Blaine and Rutledge
Grainger 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. Grainger County is home to Bean Station, Blaine and Rutledge. Next door, Knox County has 4 data centers. Employers here counted 4,198 jobs in 2025, up 7.2% from 2019. 25,739 people live here, up 9.2% since 2020. Knoxville Utilities Board is the largest utility serving Grainger County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities.
Cities and towns in Grainger County
Grainger County is home to Bean Station, Blaine and Rutledge.
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 Grainger County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,572 | 25,739 | ▲ 9.2% | 59th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,916 | 4,198 | ▲ 7.2% | 40th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,478 | $56,242 | ▲ 42.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Who powers Grainger County
Utilities with service territory in Grainger County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville Utilities Board | Municipal | Bundled | 193,707 | 12.54¢ | 40% |
| Appalachian Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,709 | 12.93¢ | 26% |
| Powell Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,147 | 11.49¢ | 22% |
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 Grainger County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Grainger County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,198 | $56,242 | 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 Grainger County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grainger County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Hamblen County, Hawkins County, Knox County.
Grainger County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Grainger County, Knox 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grainger County | 25,739 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Claiborne County | 33,229 | ▼ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Hamblen County | 68,843 | ▲ 2.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hancock County | 7,075 | ▲ 14.6% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Hawkins County | 59,559 | ▲ 6.0% | 997 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jefferson County | 60,024 | ▲ 3.9% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 511,453 | ▲ 9.2% | 5 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Union County | 21,450 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Grainger County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grainger County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Grainger County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Knoxville Utilities Board, Appalachian Electric Coop, Powell Valley Electric Coop. The largest, Knoxville Utilities Board, charged residential customers 12.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Grainger County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grainger County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Knox County.
Is Grainger County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,198 jobs in 2025 against 3,916 in 2019 (+7.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Grainger County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grainger County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.