Hancock County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sneedville
Hancock 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. Hancock County is home to Sneedville. Employers here counted 1,042 jobs in 2025, up 14.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 22 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Powell Valley Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Hancock County. Its residential customers paid an average 11.49¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. 7,075 people live here, up 6.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Hancock County
Hancock County is home to Sneedville.
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 Hancock County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,628 | 7,075 | ▲ 6.7% | 91st of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 909 | 1,042 | ▲ 14.6% | 12th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $28,198 | $36,834 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.6% | 5.5% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 5.6% in 2019.
Who powers Hancock County
Utilities with service territory in Hancock County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 22 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell Valley | Powell Valley Electric Coop | Petroleum | 22 MW | 2000 |
The Hancock County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,042 | $36,834 | 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 Hancock County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hancock County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hawkins County.
Hancock County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hancock County, Hawkins 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 7,075 | ▲ 14.6% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Claiborne County | 33,229 | ▼ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Grainger County | 25,739 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hawkins County | 59,559 | ▲ 6.0% | 997 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lee County VA | 21,642 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Scott County VA | 21,200 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Hancock County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hancock County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Hancock County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Powell Valley Electric Coop. The largest, Powell Valley Electric Coop, charged residential customers 11.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hancock County?
1 operating plant with 22 MW of capacity. The largest is Powell Valley (22 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Hancock County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hancock County.
Is Hancock County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,042 jobs in 2025 against 909 in 2019 (+14.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hancock County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hancock County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.