Clay County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Clay County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Clay County is home to Hayesville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Construction employs 208, up 23.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 2,233 jobs in 2025, up 9.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Hayesville.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,141 | 12,239 | ▲ 9.9% | 92nd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,045 | 2,233 | ▲ 9.2% | 25th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,387 | $49,123 | ▲ 47.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 169 | 208 | ▲ 23.1% | 23rd of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 12,239 people live here, up 9.9% since 2020. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Clay County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities.
Who powers Clay County
Utilities with service territory in Clay 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% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 15 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatuge | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 13 MW | 1954 |
| Mission | Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1924 |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,233 | $49,123 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 208 | $73,496 | 1.76 |
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 Clay County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2025-09 |
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Clay County, Cherokee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 12,239 | ▲ 9.2% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cherokee County | 30,830 | ▼ 1.8% | 168 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Macon County | 39,232 | ▲ 10.7% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
| Rabun County GA | 17,764 | ▲ 6.7% | 27 MW | — | — | — |
| Towns County GA | 13,285 | ● 0.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County GA | 27,859 | ▲ 13.3% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, North Carolina?
1 utility has service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clay County?
2 operating plants with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Chatuge (13 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cherokee County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,233 jobs in 2025 against 2,045 in 2019 (+9.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 169 to 208.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Clay County, 1 in force.