Meigs County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Decatur
Meigs 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. Meigs County is home to Decatur. Next door, Roane County has 2 data centers and 1,831 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 1,930 jobs in 2025, down 11.5% from 2019. 14,186 people live here, up 10.8% since 2020. Volunteer Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Meigs County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.19¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Meigs County
Meigs County is home to Decatur.
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 Meigs County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,808 | 14,186 | ▲ 10.8% | 81st of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,181 | 1,930 | ▼ 11.5% | 94th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,624 | $59,770 | ▲ 47.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019.
Who powers Meigs County
Utilities with service territory in Meigs County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 104,387 | 12.19¢ | 24% |
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 Meigs County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Meigs County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,930 | $59,770 | 1.00 |
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 Meigs County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Meigs County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Hamilton County, Roane County.
Meigs County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Meigs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meigs County | 14,186 | ▼ 11.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Bradley County | 115,465 | ▼ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 390,833 | ▲ 5.5% | 4,324 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
| McMinn County | 57,404 | ▼ 9.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Rhea County | 34,844 | ▲ 14.6% | 2,714 MW | — | — | — |
| Roane County | 57,395 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,700 MW | 1,831 MW | 2 | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Meigs County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Meigs County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Meigs County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Volunteer Electric Coop. The largest, Volunteer Electric Coop, charged residential customers 12.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Meigs County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Meigs County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Roane County.
Is Meigs County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,930 jobs in 2025 against 2,181 in 2019 (-11.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Meigs County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Meigs County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.