Strength in numbers

You can count on Kentucky co-ops

I’M A NUMBERS GUY. I always have been. And this issue is full of exciting stats—from number crunching careers to fun facts about Kentucky. Here are a few of my favorites: 

36: Data science is a growing field: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs in data science will grow by 36% through 2033. And those careers have salaries with six figures. 

3,000: According to Alicia Sells, CEO of We Lead CS, a virtual career academy for high school students, there are about 3,000 tech jobs open in Kentucky and not enough skilled workers to fill them. Read more about this new academy on page 20. 

79 million: Did you know more than 79 million people visited Kentucky in 2023 and spent $9.7 billion across the state?

20,597: Votes cast in the 2024 Best in Kentucky Awards. The 2025 contest kicks off this month. We encourage you to visit KentuckyLiving.com and nominate your favorites in 30 categories. This is how your area gets represented, so go online and complete our nomination form.

Speaking of numbers, here are some things you might not know about Kentucky’s electric cooperatives: 

26: With two generation and transmission cooperatives and 24 electric distribution cooperatives, Kentucky has 26 electric co-ops. 

1.8 million: Those co-ops serve 1.8 million consumer-members in 117 of the state’s 120 counties. 

3,100: Kentucky’s electric cooperatives employ more than 3,100 people across the state. 

99,700: Combined, Kentucky co-ops have more than 99,700 miles of line. That’s enough to wrap around Earth’s equator four times. 

The most important number I can share, though, is 1—the single mission that guides Kentucky’s electric cooperatives. We are here to provide safe, affordable and reliable electricity to you, the consumer-member. When it comes to fulfilling this mission, you can count on us.