Jefferson County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jefferson City, Dandridge and White Pine
Jefferson 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. Jefferson County is home to Jefferson City, Dandridge, White Pine and New Market. Next door, Knox County has 4 data centers. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 13,797 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 137 MW of capacity, 99% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Jefferson County
Jefferson County is home to Jefferson City, Dandridge, White Pine and New Market.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Strawberry Plains.
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 Jefferson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 54,897 | 60,024 | ▲ 9.3% | 26th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,281 | 13,797 | ▲ 3.9% | 54th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,860 | $57,994 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
60,024 people live here, up 9.3% since 2020. Knoxville Utilities Board is the largest utility serving Jefferson 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. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Who powers Jefferson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jefferson 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% |
| City of Newport - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 19,859 | 13.83¢ | 24% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 135 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Dam | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 135 MW | 1942 |
| SR White Pine, LLC | SR White Pine, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Jefferson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,797 | $57,994 | 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 Jefferson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jefferson County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Hamblen County, Knox County.
Jefferson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 60,024 | ▲ 3.9% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Cocke County | 37,889 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Grainger County | 25,739 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hamblen County | 68,843 | ▲ 2.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Knox County | 511,453 | ▲ 9.2% | 5 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Sevier County | 101,342 | ▲ 8.3% | 151 MW | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Jefferson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jefferson County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Jefferson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Knoxville Utilities Board, Appalachian Electric Coop, City of Newport - (TN). The largest, Knoxville Utilities Board, charged residential customers 12.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jefferson County?
2 operating plants with 137 MW of capacity. The largest is Cherokee Dam (135 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Jefferson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jefferson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Knox County.
Is Jefferson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,797 jobs in 2025 against 13,281 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Jefferson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jefferson County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.