Chatham County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Siler City, Pittsboro and Cary
Chatham County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Electrical contractors employ 493, up 127.2% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $67,069 a year. Construction employs 1,972, up 77.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 20,318 jobs in 2025, up 31.9% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 100 North Carolina counties). Chatham County is home to Siler City, Pittsboro and part of Cary (4,079 of its 183,582 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month data center and crypto-mining moratorium”.
Cities and towns in Chatham County
Chatham County is home to Siler City, Pittsboro and part of Cary (4,079 of its 183,582 residents).
- Cary also extends into Wake County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bennett, Briar Chapel, Carolina Meadows, Fearrington Village, Governors Club, Governors Village, Gulf, Moncure.
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 Chatham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 76,663 | 85,111 | ▲ 11.0% | 34th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,399 | 20,318 | ▲ 31.9% | 2nd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,998 | $56,422 | ▲ 44.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,110 | 1,972 | ▲ 77.7% | 2nd of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 217 | 493 | ▲ 127.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21 | 25 | ▲ 19.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Triangle Innovation Park West (TIP West) (750 MW). 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Lockville Hydropower (hydro, 1 MW, 2023). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 85,111 people live here, up 11.0% since 2020. Its power plants have 42 MW of capacity, 90% of it solar. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Chatham 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 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Who powers Chatham County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chatham 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% |
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
| Randolph Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,086 | 15.91¢ | 23% |
| Piedmont Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,334 | 15.60¢ | 14% |
| Central Electric Membership Corp. - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,071 | 14.34¢ | 12% |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 38 MW | 90% |
| Hydro | 4 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arborgate Solar | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
| Flatwood Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Siler 421 Farm, LLC | Heelstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| West Siler | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Siler City Solar 2 | Siler City Solar 2, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Tinker (NC) | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockville Hydropower | Hydro | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Chatham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,318 | $56,422 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,972 | $65,285 | 1.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 493 | $67,069 | 3.36 |
| Data processing and hosting | 25 | $173,287 | 0.40 |
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 Chatham County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month data center and crypto-mining moratorium | In force | 2026-02 |
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triangle Innovation Park West (TIP West) | litigation active | 750 MW | ||
| Chatham County data center and crypto-mine moratorium | pending review | — |
Chatham County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Chatham County, Wake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County | 85,111 | ▲ 31.9% | 42 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Alamance County | 186,177 | ▲ 6.2% | 33 MW | 35 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Durham County | 347,240 | ▲ 10.5% | 19 MW | — | 9 | 1 |
| Harnett County | 150,137 | ▲ 15.1% | 57 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lee County | 70,258 | ▲ 7.2% | 39 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Moore County | 110,619 | ▲ 15.6% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Orange County | 152,498 | ▲ 8.4% | 50 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Randolph County | 149,516 | ▲ 0.6% | 71 MW | — | — | — |
| Wake County | 1,257,235 | ▲ 15.7% | 1,108 MW | 56 MW | 12 | — |
More of North Carolina
Chatham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chatham County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Chatham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Randolph Electric Member Corp, Piedmont Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chatham County?
11 operating plants with 42 MW of capacity. The largest is Arborgate Solar (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Chatham County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chatham County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wake County.
Is Chatham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,318 jobs in 2025 against 15,399 in 2019 (+31.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,110 to 1,972.
Does Chatham County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Chatham County, 1 in force.