Macon County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lafayette and Red Boiling Springs
No data center or power plant project is on record in Macon County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Macon County is home to Lafayette and Red Boiling Springs. Next door, Sumner County has 4 data centers. Employers here counted 5,223 jobs in 2025, up 7.7% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 52, at an average $66,094 a year. 27,663 people live here, up 9.5% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Macon County
Macon County is home to Lafayette and Red Boiling Springs.
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 Macon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,260 | 27,663 | ▲ 9.5% | 56th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,848 | 5,223 | ▲ 7.7% | 38th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,179 | $49,655 | ▲ 45.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Upper Cumberland E M C is the largest utility serving Macon County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Who powers Macon County
Utilities with service territory in Macon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Cumberland E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,560 | 12.77¢ | 26% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,824 | 12.33¢ | 31% |
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 Macon County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Macon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,223 | $49,655 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 52 | $66,094 | 1.38 |
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 Macon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Macon County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Allen County.
Macon County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Macon County, Sumner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County | 27,663 | ▲ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Allen County KY | 22,536 | ▲ 12.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 7,821 | ▼ 1.4% | 54 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 12,466 | ▲ 21.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Monroe County KY | 11,191 | ▲ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Smith County | 20,981 | ▼ 2.6% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Sumner County | 215,538 | ▲ 12.7% | 2,022 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Trousdale County | 12,623 | ▲ 38.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Macon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Macon County, Tennessee?
2 utilities have service territory in Macon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Upper Cumberland E M C, Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN). The largest, Upper Cumberland E M C, charged residential customers 12.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Macon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Macon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sumner County.
Is Macon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,223 jobs in 2025 against 4,848 in 2019 (+7.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Macon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Macon County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.