Dickenson County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clintwood
Dickenson 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. Dickenson County is home to Clintwood. Next door, Pike County, Kentucky, has 2 data centers. Employers here counted 3,333 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Dickenson County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. 13,236 people live here, down 6.0% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Dickenson County
Dickenson County is home to Clintwood.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Breaks, Dante.
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 Dickenson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,075 | 13,236 | ▼ 6.0% | 106th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,416 | 3,333 | ▼ 2.4% | 91st of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,472 | $54,683 | ▲ 35.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.7% | ● 0.0pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019.
Who powers Dickenson County
Utilities with service territory in Dickenson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 465,283 | 17.02¢ | 26% |
| Kentucky Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 22,669 | 14.28¢ | 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 Dickenson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Dickenson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,333 | $54,683 | 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 Dickenson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dickenson County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Dickenson County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Dickenson County, Wise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickenson County | 13,236 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Buchanan County | 18,492 | ▼ 11.7% | 88 MW | — | — | — |
| Pike County KY | 54,721 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Russell County | 25,332 | ▼ 9.0% | 475 MW | — | — | — |
| Wise County | 34,824 | ▼ 6.2% | 671 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
More of Virginia
Dickenson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dickenson County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Dickenson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co, Kentucky Utilities Co. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 17.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Dickenson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dickenson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pike County.
Is Dickenson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,333 jobs in 2025 against 3,416 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Dickenson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dickenson County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.