Smith County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Carthage, South Carthage and Gordonsville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Smith County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Smith County is home to Carthage, South Carthage and Gordonsville. Electrical contractors employ 27, up 35.0% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $45,402 a year. Its power plants have 100 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Employers here counted 4,947 jobs in 2025, down 2.6% from 2019. Middle Tennessee E M C is the largest utility serving Smith County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.76¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities.
Cities and towns in Smith County
Smith County is home to Carthage, South Carthage and Gordonsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hickman.
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 Smith County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,963 | 20,981 | ▲ 5.1% | 67th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,080 | 4,947 | ▼ 2.6% | 79th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,529 | $54,981 | ▲ 26.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20 | 27 | ▲ 35.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 20,981 people live here, up 5.1% since 2020.
Who powers Smith County
Utilities with service territory in Smith County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 307,370 | 11.76¢ | 37% |
| Upper Cumberland E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,560 | 12.77¢ | 26% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,824 | 12.33¢ | 31% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 100 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cordell Hull | USCE-Nashville District | Hydro | 100 MW | 1973 |
The Smith County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,947 | $54,981 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 213 | $59,474 | 0.81 |
| Electrical contractors | 27 | $45,402 | 0.76 |
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 Smith County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Smith County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Wilson County.
Smith County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Smith County, DeKalb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County | 20,981 | ▼ 2.6% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| DeKalb County | 21,873 | ▼ 8.2% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 12,466 | ▲ 21.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Macon County | 27,663 | ▲ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Putnam County | 86,612 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Trousdale County | 12,623 | ▲ 38.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilson County | 175,033 | ▲ 34.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Smith County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Smith County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Smith County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Middle Tennessee E M C, Upper Cumberland E M C, Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN). The largest, Middle Tennessee E M C, charged residential customers 11.76¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Smith County?
1 operating plant with 100 MW of capacity. The largest is Cordell Hull (100 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Smith County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Smith County.
Is Smith County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,947 jobs in 2025 against 5,080 in 2019 (-2.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Smith County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Smith County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.