Carteret County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morehead City, Beaufort and Newport
No data center or power plant project is on record in Carteret County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Carteret County is home to Morehead City, Beaufort, Newport and Emerald Isle. Construction employs 1,642, up 13.1% since 2019. Next door, Jones County has 224 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 25,622 jobs in 2025, up 8.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Carteret County
Carteret County is home to Morehead City, Beaufort, Newport and Emerald Isle.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Atlantic, Brandywine Bay, Broad Creek, Davis, Gloucester, Harkers Island, Marshallberg.
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 Carteret County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 67,692 | 70,469 | ▲ 4.1% | 40th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,681 | 25,622 | ▲ 8.2% | 30th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,266 | $47,719 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,452 | 1,642 | ▲ 13.1% | 38th of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.1% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
Electrical contractors employ 218, at an average $47,382 a year. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Carteret County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 70,469 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers Carteret County
Utilities with service territory in Carteret 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% |
| Carteret-Craven El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 38,858 | 12.15¢ | 23% |
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 Carteret County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Carteret County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 25,622 | $47,719 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,642 | $56,098 | 1.21 |
| Electrical contractors | 218 | $47,382 | 1.18 |
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 Carteret County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carteret County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide.
Carteret County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Carteret County, Jones 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carteret County | 70,469 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Craven County | 105,025 | ▲ 1.8% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Jones County | 9,575 | ▼ 2.0% | 120 MW | 224 MW | — | — |
| Onslow County | 217,175 | ▲ 9.8% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Carteret County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carteret County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Carteret County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Carteret-Craven El Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Morehead City, NC in?
Morehead City is in Carteret County, North Carolina. About 10,434 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Carteret County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carteret County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jones County.
Is Carteret County adding jobs?
Employers counted 25,622 jobs in 2025 against 23,681 in 2019 (+8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,452 to 1,642.
Does Carteret County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carteret County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.