Caldwell County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lenoir, Sawmills and Granite Falls
Caldwell County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Caldwell County, 5% of North Carolina's total. Construction employs 1,098, up 45.2% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 181, up 66.1% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $57,395 a year. Caldwell County is home to Lenoir, Sawmills, Granite Falls and Hudson. 11 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Caldwell County
Caldwell County is home to Lenoir, Sawmills, Granite Falls and Hudson.
- Rhodhiss also extends into Burke County.
- Blowing Rock also extends into Watauga County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Northlakes.
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 Caldwell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 80,582 | 81,105 | ▲ 0.6% | 37th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25,251 | 25,294 | ▲ 0.2% | 58th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,364 | $52,038 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 756 | 1,098 | ▲ 45.2% | 7th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 109 | 181 | ▲ 66.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 11 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 40 MW of capacity, 64% of it hydro. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Caldwell 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 3.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 25,294 jobs in 2025, up 0.2% from 2019. 81,105 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Caldwell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +11 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Caldwell 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% |
| Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 71,926 | 14.59¢ | 24% |
| Rutherford Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 70,743 | 13.13¢ | 14% |
| Town of Granite Falls - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 26 MW | 64% |
| Solar | 12 MW | 30% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodhiss | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 26 MW | 1925 |
| Brighter Future Solar | Brighter Future Solar LLC | Solar | 11 MW | 2022 |
| Granite Falls Walmart | North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2007 |
| Bernhardt Furniture Solar Farm | Bernhardt Furniture Company | Solar | 1 MW | 2015 |
The Caldwell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 25,294 | $52,038 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,098 | $58,773 | 0.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 181 | $57,395 | 0.99 |
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 Caldwell County
4 data centers in Caldwell County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Caldwell County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Caldwell County, Catawba 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell County | 81,105 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Alexander County | 36,958 | ▼ 7.3% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Avery County | 18,110 | ▲ 16.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Burke County | 88,655 | ● 0.0% | 48 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Catawba County | 170,172 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,328 MW | 50 MW | 12 | — |
| Watauga County | 54,786 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Wilkes County | 66,233 | ▼ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Caldwell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Caldwell County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Caldwell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC), Rutherford Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lenoir, NC in?
Lenoir is in Caldwell County, North Carolina. About 18,372 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Caldwell County?
4 operating plants with 40 MW of capacity. The largest is Rhodhiss (26 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Caldwell County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Caldwell County.
Is Caldwell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 25,294 jobs in 2025 against 25,251 in 2019 (+0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 756 to 1,098.
Does Caldwell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Caldwell County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.