Scott County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oneida, Huntsville and Winfield
Scott 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. Scott County is home to Oneida, Huntsville and Winfield. Construction employs 371, up 7.8% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 9, at an average $34,646 a year. Volunteer Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Scott County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.19¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is home to Oneida, Huntsville and Winfield.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Elgin, Helenwood, Robbins.
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 Scott County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,880 | 22,671 | ▲ 3.6% | 63rd of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,780 | 5,743 | ▼ 0.6% | 71st of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,794 | $43,639 | ▲ 37.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 344 | 371 | ▲ 7.8% | 43rd of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
Employers here counted 5,743 jobs in 2025, down 0.6% from 2019. 22,671 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Scott County
Utilities with service territory in Scott County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 104,387 | 12.19¢ | 24% |
| Plateau Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,331 | 13.21¢ | 30% |
| South Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 152 | 13.77¢ | 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.
No operating power plant is located in Scott County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Scott County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,743 | $43,639 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 371 | $56,073 | 1.22 |
| Electrical contractors | 9 | $34,646 | 0.22 |
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 Scott County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scott County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Anderson County, Morgan County.
Scott County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Scott County, Anderson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 22,671 | ▼ 0.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Anderson County | 82,066 | ▲ 17.0% | 136 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Campbell County | 40,290 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Fentress County | 20,322 | ▲ 16.7% | — | — | — | — |
| McCreary County KY | 17,124 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 22,160 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Pickett County | 5,219 | ▼ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County KY | 19,597 | ▼ 10.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Scott County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scott County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Scott County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Volunteer Electric Coop, Plateau Electric Cooperative, South Kentucky Rural E C C. The largest, Volunteer Electric Coop, charged residential customers 12.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Scott County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scott County.
Is Scott County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,743 jobs in 2025 against 5,780 in 2019 (-0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 344 to 371.
Does Scott County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scott County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.