McNairy County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Selmer and Adamsville
McNairy 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. McNairy County is home to Selmer, most of Adamsville (2,034 of its 2,081 residents), Eastview and Bethel Springs. Construction employs 205, up 19.9% since 2019. 25 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 5,581 jobs in 2025, up 5.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 81 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in McNairy County
McNairy County is home to Selmer, most of Adamsville (2,034 of its 2,081 residents), Eastview and Bethel Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chewalla.
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 McNairy County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,868 | 26,236 | ▲ 1.4% | 57th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,311 | 5,581 | ▲ 5.1% | 47th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,123 | $47,119 | ▲ 38.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 171 | 205 | ▲ 19.9% | 35th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 25 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Pickwick Electric Coop is the largest utility serving McNairy County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.67¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 26,236 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers McNairy County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +25 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in McNairy County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickwick Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,609 | 12.67¢ | 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 81 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Adamsville | SR Adamsville, LLC | Solar | 25 MW | 2026 |
| Selmer I | Selmer North Solar I, LLC | Solar | 16 MW | 2016 |
| Mulberry Farm LLC | Onward Energy | Solar | 16 MW | 2014 |
| Selmer Farm LLC | Onward Energy | Solar | 16 MW | 2014 |
| Selmer II | Selmer North Solar II, LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2016 |
The McNairy County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,581 | $47,119 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 205 | $57,654 | 0.69 |
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 McNairy County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in McNairy County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
McNairy County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border McNairy County, Hardin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNairy County | 26,236 | ▲ 5.1% | 81 MW | — | — | — |
| Alcorn County MS | 34,569 | ▼ 6.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Chester County | 17,994 | ▲ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Hardeman County | 25,274 | ▼ 7.2% | 18 MW | 55 MW | — | — |
| Hardin County | 27,983 | ▲ 4.7% | 312 MW | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
McNairy County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McNairy County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in McNairy County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pickwick Electric Coop. The largest, Pickwick Electric Coop, charged residential customers 12.67¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in McNairy County?
5 operating plants with 81 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Adamsville (25 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in McNairy County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in McNairy County.
Is McNairy County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,581 jobs in 2025 against 5,311 in 2019 (+5.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 171 to 205.
Does McNairy County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McNairy County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.