Obion County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Union City, South Fulton and Troy
Obion 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 868, up 100.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Obion County is home to Union City, South Fulton, Troy and Obion. Employers here counted 11,923 jobs in 2025, up 9.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Obion County
Obion County is home to Union City, South Fulton, Troy and Obion.
- Kenton also extends into Gibson County.
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 Obion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,779 | 30,067 | ▼ 2.3% | 50th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,941 | 11,923 | ▲ 9.0% | 30th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,462 | $50,424 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 434 | 868 | ▲ 100.0% | 5th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 112 | 113 | ▲ 0.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 3.6% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 100 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 113, up 0.9% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $72,588 a year. Gibson Electric Members Corp is the largest utility serving Obion County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.00¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. 30,067 people live here, down 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Obion County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Obion County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,331 | 13.00¢ | 26% |
| Weakley County Mun Elec Sys | Municipal | Bundled | 15,315 | 11.29¢ | 41% |
| City of Union City | Municipal | Bundled | 5,203 | 11.31¢ | 28% |
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 | 100 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OETN1 | OE_TN1 | Solar | 100 MW | 2023 |
The Obion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,923 | $50,424 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 868 | $66,897 | 1.37 |
| Electrical contractors | 113 | $72,588 | 1.31 |
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 Obion County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Obion County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Obion County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Obion County, Weakley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obion County | 30,067 | ▲ 9.0% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Dyer County | 36,320 | ▲ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Fulton County KY | 6,218 | ▲ 10.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Gibson County | 51,779 | ▲ 12.3% | 7 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Hickman County KY | 4,372 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 6,249 | ▼ 9.3% | 177 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Weakley County | 33,261 | ▼ 3.2% | 568 MW | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Obion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Obion County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Obion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Gibson Electric Members Corp, Weakley County Mun Elec Sys, City of Union City. The largest, Gibson Electric Members Corp, charged residential customers 13.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Union City, TN in?
Union City is in Obion County, Tennessee. About 10,814 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Obion County?
1 operating plant with 100 MW of capacity. The largest is OETN1 (100 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Obion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Obion County.
Is Obion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,923 jobs in 2025 against 10,941 in 2019 (+9.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 434 to 868.
Does Obion County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Obion County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.