Davidson County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Thomasville, Lexington and High Point
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Davidson County. Davidson County is home to Thomasville, Lexington, part of High Point (7,254 of its 120,571 residents) and Midway. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed four-month data center moratorium”. 135 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Cypress Creek Renewables (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among North Carolina's counties. Construction employs 2,609, up 18.1% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 427, up 28.2% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $58,160 a year.
Cities and towns in Davidson County
Davidson County is home to Thomasville, Lexington, part of High Point (7,254 of its 120,571 residents) and Midway.
- Thomasville also extends into Randolph County.
- High Point also extends into Guilford County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Southmont, Tyro, Welcome, Yadkin College.
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 Davidson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 169,029 | 180,182 | ▲ 6.6% | 17th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 44,101 | 46,241 | ▲ 4.9% | 39th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,403 | $54,845 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,209 | 2,609 | ▲ 18.1% | 27th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 333 | 427 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 126 | 51 | ▼ 59.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 135 MW | 251% of today's fleet | 5th of 30 by size |
Employers here counted 46,241 jobs in 2025, up 4.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 54 MW of capacity, 61% of it hydro. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Davidson County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 180,182 people live here, up 6.6% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Who powers Davidson County
Utilities with service territory in Davidson 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% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
| Town of High Point | Municipal | Bundled | 38,079 | 11.63¢ | 52% |
| City of Lexington - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 18,053 | 11.75¢ | 34% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 33 MW | 61% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 19% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 17% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Rock Hydro | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 33 MW | 1927 |
| Davidson III | SunE B9 Holdings, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2010 |
| Lexington | North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2005 |
| Davidson IV | SunE B9 Holdings, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2010 |
| Works 53 | Electric Glass Fiber America, LLC | Petroleum | 3 MW | 1967 |
| Lexington Health Center | North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2002 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Davidson | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Healing Springs Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 55 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
The Davidson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 46,241 | $54,845 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,609 | $61,925 | 1.06 |
| Electrical contractors | 427 | $58,160 | 1.28 |
| Power and communication line construction | 51 | $66,092 | 0.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6 | $100,843 | 0.04 |
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 Davidson County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed four-month data center moratorium | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Davidson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Davidson County, Rowan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | 180,182 | ▲ 4.9% | 54 MW | 135 MW | — | 1 |
| Davie County | 45,855 | ▲ 13.4% | 53 MW | 60 MW | — | 1 |
| Forsyth County | 401,718 | ▼ 0.4% | 21 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
| Guilford County | 562,234 | ▲ 2.3% | 44 MW | 40 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Montgomery County | 26,403 | ▼ 5.4% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 149,516 | ▲ 0.6% | 71 MW | — | — | — |
| Rowan County | 155,096 | ▲ 4.8% | 1,943 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Stanly County | 68,830 | ▲ 22.6% | 282 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Davidson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Davidson County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Davidson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Town of High Point, City of Lexington - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Thomasville, NC in?
Thomasville is in Davidson County, North Carolina. About 27,207 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Lexington, NC in?
Lexington is in Davidson County, North Carolina. About 20,238 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Davidson County?
9 operating plants with 54 MW of capacity. The largest is High Rock Hydro (33 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Davidson County?
135 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cypress Creek Renewables.
Are there data centers in Davidson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Davidson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Forsyth County.
Is Davidson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 46,241 jobs in 2025 against 44,101 in 2019 (+4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,209 to 2,609.
Does Davidson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Davidson County, 0 in force.