Dare County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Nags Head
Dare County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Dare County is home to Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head and Southern Shores. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Construction employs 1,207, up 11.7% since 2019. Employers here counted 20,728 jobs in 2025, up 6.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Dare County
Dare County is home to Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head and Southern Shores.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras, Manns Harbor, Rodanthe, Salvo, Wanchese, Waves.
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 Dare County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,036 | 38,245 | ▲ 3.3% | 66th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,527 | 20,728 | ▲ 6.2% | 36th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,110 | $48,717 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,081 | 1,207 | ▲ 11.7% | 41st of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 2.9% | ▼ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Dare County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.93¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 38,245 people live here, up 3.3% since 2020.
Who powers Dare County
Utilities with service territory in Dare County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| Tideland Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,551 | 16.18¢ | 26% |
| Cape Hatteras Elec Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buxton | North Carolina El Member Corp | Petroleum | 15 MW | 1991 |
The Dare County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,728 | $48,717 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,207 | $59,439 | 1.10 |
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 Dare County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dare County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide.
Dare County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Dare County, Currituck 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dare County | 38,245 | ▲ 6.2% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Currituck County | 33,158 | ▲ 0.5% | 262 MW | — | — | — |
| Hyde County | 4,554 | ▼ 6.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Dare County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dare County, North Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Dare County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Tideland Electric Member Corp, Cape Hatteras Elec Member Corp. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Dare County?
1 operating plant with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Buxton (15 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Dare County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dare County.
Is Dare County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,728 jobs in 2025 against 19,527 in 2019 (+6.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,081 to 1,207.
Does Dare County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dare County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.