Union County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Maynardville, Plainview and Luttrell
Union 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. Union County is home to Maynardville, Plainview and Luttrell. Next door, Knox County has 4 data centers. Employers here counted 2,688 jobs in 2025, up 9.1% from 2019. 21,450 people live here, up 8.1% since 2020. Knoxville Utilities Board is the largest utility serving Union County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities.
Cities and towns in Union County
Union County is home to Maynardville, Plainview and Luttrell.
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 Union County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,847 | 21,450 | ▲ 8.1% | 66th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,464 | 2,688 | ▲ 9.1% | 29th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,278 | $48,262 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.6% | ● 0.0pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Who powers Union County
Utilities with service territory in Union County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville Utilities Board | Municipal | Bundled | 193,707 | 12.54¢ | 40% |
| City of Clinton - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 26,230 | 12.99¢ | 23% |
| Powell Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,147 | 11.49¢ | 22% |
| City of LaFollette | Municipal | Bundled | 19,934 | 13.51¢ | 39% |
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 Union County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Union County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,688 | $48,262 | 1.00 |
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 Union County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Union County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Anderson County, Knox County.
Union County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Union County, Knox 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 21,450 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Anderson County | 82,066 | ▲ 17.0% | 136 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Campbell County | 40,290 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Claiborne County | 33,229 | ▼ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Grainger County | 25,739 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 511,453 | ▲ 9.2% | 5 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Union County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Union County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Union County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Knoxville Utilities Board, City of Clinton - (TN), Powell Valley Electric Coop, City of LaFollette. The largest, Knoxville Utilities Board, charged residential customers 12.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Union County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Union County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Knox County.
Is Union County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,688 jobs in 2025 against 2,464 in 2019 (+9.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Union County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Union County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.