Rutherford County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne
The data center boom is not abstract in Rutherford County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Rutherford County. Rutherford County is home to Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed six-month data center moratorium”. Construction employs 6,968, up 39.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 148,438 jobs in 2025, up 10.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Rutherford County
Rutherford County is home to Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Christiana, Rockvale, Walterhill.
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 Rutherford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 343,285 | 386,352 | ▲ 12.5% | 5th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 134,019 | 148,438 | ▲ 10.8% | 24th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,010 | $66,586 | ▲ 33.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,014 | 6,968 | ▲ 39.0% | 19th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 849 | 780 | ▼ 8.1% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 315 | 302 | ▼ 4.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 386,352 people live here, up 12.5% since 2020, 5th of 95 Tennessee counties by population. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 60% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Nashville Electric Service is the largest utility serving Rutherford County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Electrical contractors employ 780, down 8.1% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $76,345 a year.
Who powers Rutherford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rutherford County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Electric Service | Municipal | Bundled | 417,640 | 13.47¢ | 50% |
| Middle Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 307,370 | 11.76¢ | 37% |
| Duck River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 71,342 | 12.50¢ | 27% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 5 MW | 60% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 40% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTSU Power Co-Gen Plant | Middle Tennessee State University | Natural gas | 5 MW | 1997 |
| SR Christiana, LLC | SR Christiana, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2025 |
The Rutherford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 148,438 | $66,586 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,968 | $81,194 | 0.89 |
| Electrical contractors | 780 | $76,345 | 0.73 |
| Power and communication line construction | 302 | $88,468 | 1.26 |
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 Rutherford County
1 data center in Rutherford County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed six-month data center moratorium | Proposed | 2026-08 |
Rutherford County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Rutherford County, Davidson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County | 386,352 | ▲ 10.8% | 8 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Bedford County | 55,273 | ▲ 4.8% | 35 MW | — | — | — |
| Cannon County | 15,296 | ▲ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 62,419 | ▼ 1.0% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Davidson County | 745,904 | ▲ 8.2% | 53 MW | — | 24 | 1 |
| Marshall County | 38,071 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Williamson County | 272,061 | ▲ 8.1% | — | — | 7 | — |
| Wilson County | 175,033 | ▲ 34.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Rutherford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Rutherford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nashville Electric Service, Middle Tennessee E M C, Duck River Elec Member Corp. The largest, Nashville Electric Service, charged residential customers 13.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Murfreesboro, TN in?
Murfreesboro is in Rutherford County, Tennessee. About 171,178 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Smyrna, TN in?
Smyrna is in Rutherford County, Tennessee. About 63,321 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is La Vergne, TN in?
La Vergne is in Rutherford County, Tennessee. About 42,146 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Rutherford County?
2 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is MTSU Power Co-Gen Plant (5 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Rutherford County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Rutherford County.
Is Rutherford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 148,438 jobs in 2025 against 134,019 in 2019 (+10.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,014 to 6,968.
Does Rutherford County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Rutherford County, 0 in force.