Haywood County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waynesville, Canton and Maggie Valley
Haywood 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. Haywood County is home to Waynesville, Canton, Maggie Valley and Clyde. Next door, Buncombe County has 3 data centers. 52 MW has retired here since 2019, including Canton North Carolina (other technologies, 52 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 110 MW of capacity, 99% of it hydro. Electrical contractors employ 131, at an average $49,046 a year.
Cities and towns in Haywood County
Haywood County is home to Waynesville, Canton, Maggie Valley and Clyde.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Junaluska, West Canton.
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 Haywood County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 62,219 | 63,369 | ▲ 1.8% | 45th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,812 | 17,431 | ▼ 2.1% | 74th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,355 | $49,480 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 52 MW | — |
Employers here counted 17,431 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Haywood County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 63,369 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Haywood County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −52 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Haywood 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% |
| Haywood Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,078 | 16.60¢ | 8% |
| Town of Waynesville - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 108 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walters | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Hydro | 108 MW | 1930 |
| Innovative Solar 10 | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 2 MW | 2015 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton North Carolina | Other technologies | 52 MW | 2023 |
The Haywood County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,431 | $49,480 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 131 | $49,046 | 1.04 |
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 Haywood County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Haywood County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Henderson County, Jackson County, Madison County, Swain County.
Haywood County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Haywood County, Buncombe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haywood County | 63,369 | ▼ 2.1% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Buncombe County | 277,417 | ▼ 0.2% | 1,033 MW | 57 MW | 3 | — |
| Cocke County TN | 37,889 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Henderson County | 122,375 | ▲ 10.0% | 12 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County | 45,039 | ▲ 36.6% | 51 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Madison County | 22,553 | ▲ 8.7% | 12 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sevier County TN | 101,342 | ▲ 8.3% | 151 MW | — | — | — |
| Swain County | 14,024 | ▼ 32.9% | 255 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Transylvania County | 34,211 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
More of North Carolina
Haywood County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Haywood County, North Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Haywood County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Haywood Electric Member Corp, Town of Waynesville - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Waynesville, NC in?
Waynesville is in Haywood County, North Carolina. About 11,006 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Haywood County?
2 operating plants with 110 MW of capacity. The largest is Walters (108 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Haywood County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Haywood County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Buncombe County.
Is Haywood County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,431 jobs in 2025 against 17,812 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Haywood County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Haywood County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.