Tipton County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Atoka, Covington and Munford
Tipton 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. Electrical contractors employ 64, up 433.3% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $65,659 a year. Construction employs 1,320, up 79.6% since 2019, and construction is 2.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Tipton County is home to Atoka, Covington, Munford and Brighton. Next door, Mississippi County, Arkansas, has 2,250 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 11,924 jobs in 2025, up 5.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Tipton County
Tipton County is home to Atoka, Covington, Munford and Brighton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Randolph.
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 Tipton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 61,050 | 62,287 | ▲ 2.0% | 25th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,330 | 11,924 | ▲ 5.2% | 45th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,709 | $51,585 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 735 | 1,320 | ▲ 79.6% | 8th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12 | 64 | ▲ 433.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Southwest Tennessee E M C is the largest utility serving Tipton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 62,287 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Tipton County
Utilities with service territory in Tipton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,750 | 12.90¢ | 26% |
| City of Covington - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 3,727 | 11.11¢ | 42% |
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1 | 11.94¢ | 38% |
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 Tipton County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Tipton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,924 | $51,585 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,320 | $72,144 | 2.09 |
| Electrical contractors | 64 | $65,659 | 0.74 |
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 Tipton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Tipton County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Tipton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Tipton County, Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tipton County | 62,287 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Crittenden County AR | 46,210 | ▲ 9.5% | 360 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Fayette County | 45,071 | ▲ 5.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Haywood County | 17,042 | ▲ 29.9% | 2,095 MW | 66 MW | — | — |
| Lauderdale County | 24,617 | ▼ 6.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Mississippi County AR | 37,828 | ▲ 11.0% | 1,927 MW | 2,250 MW | — | — |
| Shelby County | 910,226 | ▼ 6.3% | 1,571 MW | 16 MW | 16 | — |
More of Tennessee
Tipton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tipton County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Tipton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwest Tennessee E M C, City of Covington - (TN), Entergy Arkansas LLC. The largest, Southwest Tennessee E M C, charged residential customers 12.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Atoka, TN in?
Atoka is in Tipton County, Tennessee. About 10,645 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Tipton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tipton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mississippi County.
Is Tipton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,924 jobs in 2025 against 11,330 in 2019 (+5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 735 to 1,320.
Does Tipton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Tipton County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.