Brunswick County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Leland, Oak Island and St. James
Brunswick County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Construction employs 3,650, up 58.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 43,201 jobs in 2025, up 30.6% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 100 North Carolina counties). Brunswick County is home to Leland, Oak Island, St. James and Boiling Spring Lakes. 174,702 people live here, up 26.5% since 2020. Next door, Horry County, South Carolina, has 3 data centers.
Cities and towns in Brunswick County
Brunswick County is home to Leland, Oak Island, St. James and Boiling Spring Lakes.
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 Brunswick County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 138,135 | 174,702 | ▲ 26.5% | 18th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33,082 | 43,201 | ▲ 30.6% | 3rd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,558 | $54,523 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,303 | 3,650 | ▲ 58.5% | 4th of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 3.9% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 135 MW | — |
Its power plants have 2,071 MW of capacity, 97% of it nuclear, the 9th largest fleet in North Carolina. 135 MW has retired here since 2019, including CPI USA NC Southport (other technologies, 135 MW, 2021). Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Brunswick County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities.
Who powers Brunswick County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −120 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brunswick County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| Brunswick Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 105,562 | 13.66¢ | 25% |
| City of Southport - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,003 MW | 97% |
| Natural gas | 52 MW | 3% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 0% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick Nuclear | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Nuclear | 2,003 MW | 1975 |
| Archer Daniels Midland Southport | Archer Daniels Midland Co | Natural gas | 52 MW | 1992 |
| ATOOD Solar IV, LLC | Cardinal Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
| Zion Hill BESS | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 5 MW | 2024 |
| AGA TAG Solar IV LLC | AGA TAG Solar IV LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI USA NC Southport | Other technologies | 135 MW | 2021 |
The Brunswick County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 43,201 | $54,523 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,650 | $69,419 | 1.59 |
| Power and communication line construction | 42 | $87,184 | 0.60 |
| Data processing and hosting | 9 | $99,810 | 0.07 |
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 Brunswick County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brunswick County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Columbus County.
Brunswick County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Brunswick County, Horry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 174,702 | ▲ 30.6% | 2,071 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbus County | 50,487 | ▼ 6.4% | 166 MW | 25 MW | — | 1 |
| Horry County SC | 427,551 | ▲ 9.2% | 174 MW | 74 MW | 3 | — |
| New Hanover County | 245,959 | ▲ 11.8% | 854 MW | — | — | — |
| Pender County | 72,111 | ▲ 25.7% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Brunswick County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brunswick County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Brunswick County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Virginia Electric & Power Co, Brunswick Electric Member Corp, City of Southport - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Leland, NC in?
Leland is in Brunswick County, North Carolina. About 35,731 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Brunswick County?
5 operating plants with 2,071 MW of capacity. The largest is Brunswick Nuclear (2,003 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Brunswick County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brunswick County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Horry County.
Is Brunswick County adding jobs?
Employers counted 43,201 jobs in 2025 against 33,082 in 2019 (+30.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,303 to 3,650.
Does Brunswick County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brunswick County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.