Rhea County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dayton, Spring City and Graysville
Rhea County hosts some of the generating capacity Tennessee runs on. Rhea County is home to Dayton, Spring City and Graysville. Its power plants have 2,714 MW of capacity, 94% of it nuclear, the 2nd largest fleet in Tennessee. Employers here counted 12,205 jobs in 2025, up 14.6% from 2019. Next door, Roane County has 2 data centers and 1,831 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 232, up 8.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Rhea County
Rhea County is home to Dayton, Spring City and Graysville.
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 Rhea County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,302 | 34,844 | ▲ 4.6% | 45th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,650 | 12,205 | ▲ 14.6% | 13th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,808 | $57,651 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 213 | 232 | ▲ 8.9% | 42nd of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 4.4% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. City of Chattanooga - (TN) is the largest utility serving Rhea County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.32¢/kWh in 2024. 34,844 people live here, up 4.6% since 2020.
Who powers Rhea County
Utilities with service territory in Rhea 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% |
| Volunteer Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 104,387 | 12.19¢ | 24% |
| Sequachee Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,206 | 12.97¢ | 32% |
| City of Dayton - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 9,053 | 11.98¢ | 30% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,540 MW | 94% |
| Hydro | 175 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watts Bar Nuclear Plant | Tennessee Valley Authority | Nuclear | 2,540 MW | 1996 |
| Watts Bar Hydro | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 175 MW | 1942 |
The Rhea County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,205 | $57,651 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 232 | $77,382 | 0.36 |
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 Rhea County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rhea County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Hamilton County, Roane County.
Rhea County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Rhea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County | 34,844 | ▲ 14.6% | 2,714 MW | — | — | — |
| Bledsoe County | 15,920 | ▲ 17.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 66,300 | ▲ 8.6% | — | 110 MW | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 390,833 | ▲ 5.5% | 4,324 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
| Meigs County | 14,186 | ▼ 11.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Roane County | 57,395 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,700 MW | 1,831 MW | 2 | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Rhea County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rhea County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Rhea County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Chattanooga - (TN), Volunteer Electric Coop, Sequachee Valley Electric Coop, City of Dayton - (TN). The largest, City of Chattanooga - (TN), charged residential customers 12.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Rhea County?
2 operating plants with 2,714 MW of capacity. The largest is Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (2,540 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Rhea County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rhea County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Roane County.
Is Rhea County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,205 jobs in 2025 against 10,650 in 2019 (+14.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 213 to 232.
Does Rhea County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rhea County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.