Cabarrus County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Concord, Kannapolis and Harrisburg
Cabarrus County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cabarrus County. Cabarrus County is home to Concord, most of Kannapolis (50,152 of its 61,708 residents), Harrisburg and Midland. Employers here counted 91,560 jobs in 2025, up 19.1% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 100 North Carolina counties). 23 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 581, up 2.8% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $66,409 a year.
Cities and towns in Cabarrus County
Cabarrus County is home to Concord, most of Kannapolis (50,152 of its 61,708 residents), Harrisburg and Midland.
- Kannapolis also extends into Rowan County.
- Locust also extends into Stanly County.
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 Cabarrus County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 227,240 | 249,725 | ▲ 9.9% | 10th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 76,888 | 91,560 | ▲ 19.1% | 10th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,740 | $58,049 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 565 | 581 | ▲ 2.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.5% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 23 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 128 MW of capacity, 87% of it solar. 249,725 people live here, up 9.9% since 2020, 10th of 100 North Carolina counties by population. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Cabarrus County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Who powers Cabarrus County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +23 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cabarrus County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,919,372 | 13.94¢ | 42% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| Union Electric Membership Corp - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 84,602 | 13.37¢ | 12% |
| City of Concord - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 29,857 | 11.84¢ | 45% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 112 MW | 87% |
| Other technologies | 16 MW | 13% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC 102 Project LLC | NC 102 Project LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2018 |
| Speedway Solar NC, LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 23 MW | 2021 |
| Concord Energy | Concord Energy LLC | Other technologies | 11 MW | 2012 |
| GRS CMS | Gas Recovery Systems Inc | Other technologies | 5 MW | 1999 |
| Violet Solar | Violet Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Howell Midland Farm, LLC | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
The Cabarrus County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 91,560 | $58,049 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 581 | $66,409 | 0.88 |
| Electric utilities | 47 | $134,862 | 0.19 |
| Data processing and hosting | 94 | $161,752 | 0.33 |
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 Cabarrus County
1 data center in Cabarrus County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cabarrus County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cabarrus County, Mecklenburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabarrus County | 249,725 | ▲ 19.1% | 128 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Iredell County | 211,798 | ▲ 7.1% | 43 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Mecklenburg County | 1,233,383 | ▲ 10.7% | 2,456 MW | 2 MW | 26 | — |
| Rowan County | 155,096 | ▲ 4.8% | 1,943 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Stanly County | 68,830 | ▲ 22.6% | 282 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 267,674 | ▲ 20.0% | 107 MW | 12 MW | 1 | — |
More of North Carolina
Cabarrus County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Cabarrus County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Virginia Electric & Power Co, Union Electric Membership Corp - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Concord, NC in?
Concord is in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. About 114,598 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kannapolis, NC in?
Most of Kannapolis is in Cabarrus County: 50,152 of its 61,708 residents, or 81%. The rest of the city lies in Rowan County.
What county is Harrisburg, NC in?
Harrisburg is in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. About 20,742 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cabarrus County?
7 operating plants with 128 MW of capacity. The largest is NC 102 Project LLC (75 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Cabarrus County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cabarrus County.
Is Cabarrus County adding jobs?
Employers counted 91,560 jobs in 2025 against 76,888 in 2019 (+19.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cabarrus County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cabarrus County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.