Marion County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jasper, South Pittsburg and Kimball
Marion 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 397, up 62.0% since 2019. Marion County is home to Jasper, South Pittsburg, Kimball and Whitwell. Next door, Jackson County, Alabama, has 2 data centers and 200 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 8,350 jobs in 2025, up 11.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 104 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Marion County
Marion County is home to Jasper, South Pittsburg, Kimball and Whitwell.
- Monteagle also extends into Grundy County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Griffith Creek, Sequatchie, Whiteside.
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 Marion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,874 | 29,804 | ▲ 3.2% | 51st of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,514 | 8,350 | ▲ 11.1% | 22nd of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,191 | $53,026 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 245 | 397 | ▲ 62.0% | 12th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. City of Chattanooga - (TN) is the largest utility serving Marion County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.32¢/kWh in 2024. 29,804 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Marion County
Utilities with service territory in Marion County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Chattanooga - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 164,417 | 12.32¢ | 38% |
| Duck River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 71,342 | 12.50¢ | 27% |
| Sequachee Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,206 | 12.97¢ | 32% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 104 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickajack | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 104 MW | 1968 |
The Marion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,350 | $53,026 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 397 | $87,738 | 0.90 |
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 Marion County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Marion County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Grundy County, Hamilton County.
Marion County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Marion County, Hamilton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 29,804 | ▲ 11.1% | 104 MW | — | — | — |
| Dade County GA | 16,154 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 45,579 | ▼ 2.1% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
| Grundy County | 14,116 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hamilton County | 390,833 | ▲ 5.5% | 4,324 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
| Jackson County AL | 54,281 | ▼ 3.1% | 14 MW | 200 MW | 2 | — |
| Sequatchie County | 17,861 | ▲ 16.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Marion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marion County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Marion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Chattanooga - (TN), Duck River Elec Member Corp, Sequachee Valley Electric Coop. The largest, City of Chattanooga - (TN), charged residential customers 12.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Marion County?
1 operating plant with 104 MW of capacity. The largest is Nickajack (104 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Marion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marion County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jackson County.
Is Marion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,350 jobs in 2025 against 7,514 in 2019 (+11.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 245 to 397.
Does Marion County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Marion County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.