Wayne County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clifton and Waynesboro
Wayne 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. Wayne County is home to Clifton, Waynesboro and Collinwood. Employers here counted 4,070 jobs in 2025, up 9.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Tennessee Valley Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Wayne County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.41¢/kWh in 2024. 16,416 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Clifton, Waynesboro and Collinwood.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,220 | 16,416 | ▲ 1.2% | 76th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,724 | 4,070 | ▲ 9.3% | 27th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,978 | $48,039 | ▲ 37.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
Who powers Wayne County
Utilities with service territory in Wayne County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,804 | 12.41¢ | 40% |
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 Wayne County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,070 | $48,039 | 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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wayne County, Lauderdale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 16,416 | ▲ 9.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Decatur County | 11,820 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 27,983 | ▲ 4.7% | 312 MW | — | — | — |
| Lauderdale County AL | 97,135 | ▲ 4.3% | 742 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 46,914 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 13,487 | ▲ 19.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 9,126 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Tennessee Valley Electric Coop. The largest, Tennessee Valley Electric Coop, charged residential customers 12.41¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,070 jobs in 2025 against 3,724 in 2019 (+9.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.