Cumberland County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Spring Lake
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Cumberland County. Cumberland County is home to Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake and Eastover. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “6-month data center moratorium (unincorporated areas)”. Construction employs 5,748, up 2.9% since 2019. 44 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 455 MW of capacity, 67% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Cumberland County
Cumberland County is home to Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake and Eastover.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Vander.
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 Cumberland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 337,000 | 338,473 | ▲ 0.4% | 6th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 120,496 | 122,272 | ▲ 1.5% | 52nd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,310 | $57,312 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,587 | 5,748 | ▲ 2.9% | 47th of 60 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 650 | 803 | ▲ 23.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 44 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 1,034, at an average $75,400 a year. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Cumberland County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Employers here counted 122,272 jobs in 2025, up 1.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. 338,473 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020, 6th of 100 North Carolina counties by population.
Who powers Cumberland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +44 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cumberland 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% |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| Fayetteville Public Works Commission | Municipal | Bundled | 75,987 | 12.21¢ | 36% |
| Lumbee River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 64,396 | 12.81¢ | 15% |
| South River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,730 | 13.30¢ | 17% |
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 18
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 303 MW | 67% |
| Solar | 139 MW | 30% |
| Battery storage | 13 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler-Warner Generation Plant | Fayetteville Public Works Commission | Natural gas | 305 MW | 1976 |
| Innovative Solar 46 | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 78 MW | 2016 |
| Boykin PV1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 16 MW | 2020 |
| Butler | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2024 |
| Carter PV1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
| Tart Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
The Cumberland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 122,272 | $57,312 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,748 | $73,627 | 0.89 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,034 | $75,400 | 1.17 |
| Power and communication line construction | 803 | $92,282 | 4.07 |
| Electric utilities | 142 | $107,834 | 0.43 |
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 Cumberland County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-month data center moratorium (unincorporated areas) | In force | 2026-06 |
Cumberland County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cumberland County, Robeson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 338,473 | ▲ 1.5% | 455 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bladen County | 30,007 | ▼ 5.3% | 372 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Harnett County | 150,137 | ▲ 15.1% | 57 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Hoke County | 56,939 | ▲ 6.7% | 35 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Moore County | 110,619 | ▲ 15.6% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Robeson County | 119,941 | ▼ 5.3% | 419 MW | 108 MW | — | — |
| Sampson County | 61,504 | ▼ 5.1% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Cumberland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cumberland County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Cumberland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Virginia Electric & Power Co, Fayetteville Public Works Commission, Lumbee River Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fayetteville, NC in?
Fayetteville is in Cumberland County, North Carolina. About 209,120 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hope Mills, NC in?
Hope Mills is in Cumberland County, North Carolina. About 18,324 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Spring Lake, NC in?
Spring Lake is in Cumberland County, North Carolina. About 11,252 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cumberland County?
18 operating plants with 455 MW of capacity. The largest is Butler-Warner Generation Plant (305 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cumberland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cumberland County.
Is Cumberland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 122,272 jobs in 2025 against 120,496 in 2019 (+1.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,587 to 5,748.
Does Cumberland County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Cumberland County, 1 in force.