Wilson County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lebanon, Mount Juliet and Watertown
Wilson County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 4,170, up 96.8% since 2019. Employers here counted 65,458 jobs in 2025, up 34.8% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 95 Tennessee counties). Electrical contractors employ 352, up 68.4% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $82,887 a year. Wilson County is home to Lebanon, Mount Juliet and Watertown. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Temporary data center moratorium”.
Cities and towns in Wilson County
Wilson County is home to Lebanon, Mount Juliet and Watertown.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Gladeville, Green Hill, Greenvale, Norene, Rural Hill, Statesville, Tuckers Crossroads.
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 Wilson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 148,654 | 175,033 | ▲ 17.7% | 9th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 48,567 | 65,458 | ▲ 34.8% | 2nd of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,274 | $60,508 | ▲ 39.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,119 | 4,170 | ▲ 96.8% | 6th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 209 | 352 | ▲ 68.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Hillwood Industrial/Data Center Development (Wilson County). 175,033 people live here, up 17.7% since 2020, 9th of 95 Tennessee counties by population. Nashville Electric Service is the largest utility serving Wilson County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Who powers Wilson County
Utilities with service territory in Wilson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Electric Service | Municipal | Bundled | 417,640 | 13.47¢ | 50% |
| Middle Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 307,370 | 11.76¢ | 37% |
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 Wilson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wilson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 65,458 | $60,508 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,170 | $80,671 | 1.20 |
| Electrical contractors | 352 | $82,887 | 0.75 |
| Power and communication line construction | 58 | $86,194 | 0.55 |
| Data processing and hosting | 42 | $105,844 | 0.21 |
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 Wilson County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary data center moratorium | In force | 2026-07 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillwood Industrial/Data Center Development (Wilson County) | rezoning rejected moratorium recommended | — |
Wilson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wilson County, Davidson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County | 175,033 | ▲ 34.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Cannon County | 15,296 | ▲ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Davidson County | 745,904 | ▲ 8.2% | 53 MW | — | 24 | 1 |
| DeKalb County | 21,873 | ▼ 8.2% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Rutherford County | 386,352 | ▲ 10.8% | 8 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Smith County | 20,981 | ▼ 2.6% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Sumner County | 215,538 | ▲ 12.7% | 2,022 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Trousdale County | 12,623 | ▲ 38.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Wilson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wilson County, Tennessee?
2 utilities have service territory in Wilson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nashville Electric Service, Middle Tennessee E M C. The largest, Nashville Electric Service, charged residential customers 13.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lebanon, TN in?
Lebanon is in Wilson County, Tennessee. About 53,412 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Mount Juliet, TN in?
Mount Juliet is in Wilson County, Tennessee. About 45,172 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Wilson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wilson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Davidson County.
Is Wilson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 65,458 jobs in 2025 against 48,567 in 2019 (+34.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,119 to 4,170.
Does Wilson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Wilson County, 1 in force.