Lauderdale County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ripley and Halls
Lauderdale 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. Construction employs 189, up 65.8% since 2019. Lauderdale County is home to Ripley, Halls, Henning and Gates. Next door, Mississippi County, Arkansas, has 2,250 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 6,310 jobs in 2025, down 6.6% from 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Lauderdale County
Lauderdale County is home to Ripley, Halls, Henning and Gates.
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 Lauderdale County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,115 | 24,617 | ▼ 2.0% | 61st of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,758 | 6,310 | ▼ 6.6% | 88th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,103 | $51,860 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 114 | 189 | ▲ 65.8% | 11th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 4.8% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019. Southwest Tennessee E M C is the largest utility serving Lauderdale County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. 24,617 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Lauderdale County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lauderdale County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,750 | 12.90¢ | 26% |
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,331 | 13.00¢ | 26% |
| Forked Deer Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,345 | 14.33¢ | 16% |
| City of Ripley - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 5,106 | 12.35¢ | 42% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Forked Deer | SR Forked Deer, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Lauderdale County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,310 | $51,860 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 189 | $72,892 | 0.57 |
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 Lauderdale County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lauderdale County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Lauderdale County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lauderdale County, Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County | 24,617 | ▼ 6.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Crockett County | 14,006 | ▲ 2.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Dyer County | 36,320 | ▲ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Haywood County | 17,042 | ▲ 29.9% | 2,095 MW | 66 MW | — | — |
| Mississippi County AR | 37,828 | ▲ 11.0% | 1,927 MW | 2,250 MW | — | — |
| Tipton County | 62,287 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Lauderdale County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lauderdale County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Lauderdale County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwest Tennessee E M C, Gibson Electric Members Corp, Forked Deer Electric Coop, Inc, City of Ripley - (TN). The largest, Southwest Tennessee E M C, charged residential customers 12.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lauderdale County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Forked Deer (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Lauderdale County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lauderdale County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mississippi County.
Is Lauderdale County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,310 jobs in 2025 against 6,758 in 2019 (-6.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 114 to 189.
Does Lauderdale County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lauderdale County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.