Hamilton County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chattanooga, East Ridge and Soddy-Daisy
The data center boom is not abstract in Hamilton County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Hamilton County, 7% of Tennessee's total. Hamilton County is home to Chattanooga, East Ridge, Soddy-Daisy and Red Bank. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through July 15, 2027”. Its power plants have 4,324 MW of capacity, 56% of it nuclear, the largest fleet in Tennessee. Electrical contractors employ 2,192, up 21.9% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $82,805 a year.
Cities and towns in Hamilton County
Hamilton County is home to Chattanooga, East Ridge, Soddy-Daisy and Red Bank.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Apison, Fairmount, Falling Water, Flat Top Mountain, Harrison, Middle Valley, Mowbray Mountain, Ooltewah, Sale Creek.
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 Hamilton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 367,886 | 390,833 | ▲ 6.2% | 4th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 208,228 | 219,580 | ▲ 5.5% | 43rd of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,414 | $69,253 | ▲ 34.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,798 | 2,192 | ▲ 21.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 706 | 1,108 | ▲ 56.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 297 | 647 | ▲ 117.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 219,580 jobs in 2025, up 5.5% from 2019. City of Chattanooga - (TN) is the largest utility serving Hamilton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.32¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 390,833 people live here, up 6.2% since 2020, 4th of 95 Tennessee counties by population.
Who powers Hamilton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hamilton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Chattanooga - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 164,417 | 12.32¢ | 38% |
| Volunteer Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 104,387 | 12.19¢ | 24% |
| Sequachee Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,206 | 12.97¢ | 32% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,441 MW | 56% |
| Hydro | 1,873 MW | 43% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequoyah | Tennessee Valley Authority | Nuclear | 2,441 MW | 1981 |
| Raccoon Mountain | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 1,714 MW | 1978 |
| Chickamauga | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 160 MW | 1940 |
| Volkswagen Solar System | SR Enterprise South, LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2012 |
| Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Solar | Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport | Solar | 2 MW | 2011 |
The Hamilton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 219,580 | $69,253 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,192 | $82,805 | 1.38 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,108 | $114,968 | 3.12 |
| Data processing and hosting | 647 | $212,342 | 0.95 |
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 Hamilton County
5 data centers in Hamilton County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through July 15, 2027 | In force | 2026-01 |
Hamilton County and its neighbors
Of the 10 counties that border Hamilton County, Rhea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County | 390,833 | ▲ 5.5% | 4,324 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
| Bledsoe County | 15,920 | ▲ 17.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Bradley County | 115,465 | ▼ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Catoosa County GA | 69,628 | ▲ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Dade County GA | 16,154 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 29,804 | ▲ 11.1% | 104 MW | — | — | — |
| Meigs County | 14,186 | ▼ 11.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Rhea County | 34,844 | ▲ 14.6% | 2,714 MW | — | — | — |
| Sequatchie County | 17,861 | ▲ 16.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Walker County GA | 70,250 | ▲ 12.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Whitfield County GA | 106,212 | ▼ 0.2% | 1 MW | — | 4 | — |
More of Tennessee
Hamilton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hamilton County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Hamilton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Chattanooga - (TN), Volunteer Electric Coop, Sequachee Valley Electric Coop. The largest, City of Chattanooga - (TN), charged residential customers 12.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Chattanooga, TN in?
Chattanooga is in Hamilton County, Tennessee. About 194,144 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is East Ridge, TN in?
East Ridge is in Hamilton County, Tennessee. About 21,921 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Soddy-Daisy, TN in?
Soddy-Daisy is in Hamilton County, Tennessee. About 13,474 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hamilton County?
5 operating plants with 4,324 MW of capacity. The largest is Sequoyah (2,441 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Hamilton County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Hamilton County.
Is Hamilton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 219,580 jobs in 2025 against 208,228 in 2019 (+5.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hamilton County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Hamilton County, 1 in force.