Henderson County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hendersonville, Fletcher and Mills River
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Henderson County. Henderson County is home to Hendersonville, Fletcher, Mills River and Flat Rock. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Henderson County data center moratorium (failed)”. Construction employs 2,792, up 36.0% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 340, up 30.8% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $53,467 a year. Employers here counted 43,873 jobs in 2025, up 10.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Henderson County
Henderson County is home to Hendersonville, Fletcher, Mills River and Flat Rock.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Balfour, Barker Heights, Dana, East Flat Rock, Edneyville, Etowah, Fruitland, Gerton, Hoopers Creek, Horse Shoe, Mountain Home, Valley Hill.
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 Henderson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 116,564 | 122,375 | ▲ 5.0% | 24th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39,899 | 43,873 | ▲ 10.0% | 22nd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,990 | $56,515 | ▲ 37.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,053 | 2,792 | ▲ 36.0% | 12th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 260 | 340 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5 | 10 | ▲ 100.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 12 MW of capacity, 58% of it solar. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Henderson County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 122,375 people live here, up 5.0% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Who powers Henderson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Henderson 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% |
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 7 MW | 58% |
| Hydro | 5 MW | 42% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuxedo | Northbrook Tuxedo, LLC | Hydro | 5 MW | 1920 |
| Sawtell Solar | SunStrong Management | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Innovative Solar 14, LLC | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 2 MW | 2014 |
| Innovative Solar 16 | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 2 MW | 2015 |
The Henderson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 43,873 | $56,515 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,792 | $66,125 | 1.20 |
| Electrical contractors | 340 | $53,467 | 1.07 |
| Power and communication line construction | 10 | $66,807 | 0.14 |
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 Henderson County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County data center moratorium (failed) | Failed / vetoed | 2023-05 |
Henderson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Henderson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County | 122,375 | ▲ 10.0% | 12 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Buncombe County | 277,417 | ▼ 0.2% | 1,033 MW | 57 MW | 3 | — |
| Greenville County SC | 583,125 | ▲ 8.2% | 13 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Haywood County | 63,369 | ▼ 2.1% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 20,533 | ▲ 11.4% | 5 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Rutherford County | 65,745 | ▼ 3.1% | 127 MW | 60 MW | 3 | — |
| Transylvania County | 34,211 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
More of North Carolina
Henderson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Henderson County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Henderson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hendersonville, NC in?
Hendersonville is in Henderson County, North Carolina. About 15,867 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Henderson County?
4 operating plants with 12 MW of capacity. The largest is Tuxedo (5 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Henderson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Henderson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Rutherford County.
Is Henderson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 43,873 jobs in 2025 against 39,899 in 2019 (+10.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,053 to 2,792.
Does Henderson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Henderson County, 0 in force.