Knox County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Knoxville and Farragut
The data center boom is not abstract in Knox County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Knox County, 5% of Tennessee's total. Knox County is home to Knoxville and Farragut. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium (through June 30, 2027)”. Construction employs 14,802, up 21.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 262,703 jobs in 2025, up 9.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Knox County
Knox County is home to Knoxville and Farragut.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Halls, John Sevier, Karns, Mascot, Powell.
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 Knox County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 480,472 | 511,453 | ▲ 6.4% | 3rd of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 240,575 | 262,703 | ▲ 9.2% | 28th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,861 | $67,249 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,180 | 14,802 | ▲ 21.5% | 32nd of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,251 | 2,099 | ▼ 6.8% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 256 | 361 | ▲ 41.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Knoxville Utilities Board is the largest utility serving Knox 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. Electrical contractors employ 2,099, down 6.8% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $74,175 a year. 511,453 people live here, up 6.4% since 2020, 3rd of 95 Tennessee counties by population. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Who powers Knox County
Utilities with service territory in Knox County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville Utilities Board | Municipal | Bundled | 193,707 | 12.54¢ | 40% |
| City of Lenoir - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 62,455 | 11.95¢ | 40% |
| City of Clinton - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 26,230 | 12.99¢ | 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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee Steam Plant | University of Tennessee | Natural gas | 5 MW | 1996 |
The Knox County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 262,703 | $67,249 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 14,802 | $82,934 | 1.06 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,099 | $74,175 | 1.11 |
| Power and communication line construction | 361 | $88,390 | 0.85 |
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 Knox County
4 data centers in Knox County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium (through June 30, 2027) | In force | 2026-07 |
Knox County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Knox County, Roane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | 511,453 | ▲ 9.2% | 5 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Anderson County | 82,066 | ▲ 17.0% | 136 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Blount County | 143,820 | ▲ 11.3% | 217 MW | — | — | — |
| Grainger County | 25,739 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 60,024 | ▲ 3.9% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Loudon County | 63,764 | ▲ 11.0% | 287 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Roane County | 57,395 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,700 MW | 1,831 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Sevier County | 101,342 | ▲ 8.3% | 151 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 21,450 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Knox County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Knox County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Knox County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Knoxville Utilities Board, City of Lenoir - (TN), City of Clinton - (TN). The largest, Knoxville Utilities Board, charged residential customers 12.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Knoxville, TN in?
Knoxville is in Knox County, Tennessee. About 202,021 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Farragut, TN in?
Farragut is in Knox County, Tennessee. About 25,121 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Knox County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is University of Tennessee Steam Plant (5 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Knox County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Knox County.
Is Knox County adding jobs?
Employers counted 262,703 jobs in 2025 against 240,575 in 2019 (+9.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 12,180 to 14,802.
Does Knox County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Knox County, 1 in force.