Perry County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Linden
No data center or power plant project is on record in Perry County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Perry County is home to Linden and Lobelville. Employers here counted 1,701 jobs in 2025, down 5.1% from 2019. 9,126 people live here, up 8.9% since 2020. Meriwether Lewis Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Perry County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.68¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Perry County
Perry County is home to Linden and Lobelville.
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 Perry County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,383 | 9,126 | ▲ 8.9% | 88th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,793 | 1,701 | ▼ 5.1% | 85th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,298 | $48,608 | ▲ 50.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24 | 80 | ▲ 233.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 5.5% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Who powers Perry County
Utilities with service territory in Perry County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meriwether Lewis Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,319 | 13.68¢ | 19% |
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 Perry County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Perry County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,701 | $48,608 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 80 | $64,449 | 0.89 |
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 Perry County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Perry County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Perry County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Perry County, Humphreys 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 9,126 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 16,183 | ▲ 8.4% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Decatur County | 11,820 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hickman County | 26,219 | ▲ 12.3% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Humphreys County | 19,646 | ▼ 3.2% | 1,676 MW | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 13,487 | ▲ 19.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 16,416 | ▲ 9.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Perry County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Perry County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Perry County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Meriwether Lewis Electric Coop. The largest, Meriwether Lewis Electric Coop, charged residential customers 13.68¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Perry County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Perry County.
Is Perry County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,701 jobs in 2025 against 1,793 in 2019 (-5.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 24 to 80.
Does Perry County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Perry County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.