Johnson County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mountain City
No data center or power plant project is on record in Johnson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Johnson County is home to Mountain City. Construction employs 227, up 15.2% since 2019. Next door, Sullivan County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 4,187 jobs in 2025, down 1.6% from 2019. Mountain Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Johnson County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.34¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Johnson County
Johnson County is home to Mountain City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Butler.
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 Johnson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,985 | 18,718 | ▲ 4.1% | 70th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,255 | 4,187 | ▼ 1.6% | 76th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,251 | $56,250 | ▲ 30.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 197 | 227 | ▲ 15.2% | 38th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
18,718 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019.
Who powers Johnson County
Utilities with service territory in Johnson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,539 | 12.34¢ | 23% |
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 Johnson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Johnson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,187 | $56,250 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 227 | $64,073 | 1.02 |
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 Johnson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Johnson County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Carter County, Sullivan County, Watauga County.
Johnson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Johnson County, Sullivan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 18,718 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Ashe County NC | 27,514 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Avery County NC | 18,110 | ▲ 16.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Carter County | 57,361 | ▲ 11.3% | 68 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Grayson County VA | 15,230 | ▲ 1.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Sullivan County | 163,759 | ▲ 3.1% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Washington County VA | 53,898 | ▲ 5.2% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Watauga County NC | 54,786 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Johnson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Johnson County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Johnson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mountain Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Mountain Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 12.34¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Johnson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Johnson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sullivan County.
Is Johnson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,187 jobs in 2025 against 4,255 in 2019 (-1.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 197 to 227.
Does Johnson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Johnson County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.