Hertford County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ahoskie and Murfreesboro
No data center or power plant project is on record in Hertford County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Hertford County is home to Ahoskie, Murfreesboro and Winton. Next door, Southampton County, Virginia, has 1 data center. Construction employs 405, down 5.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 8,390 jobs in 2025, down 7.7% from 2019. 52 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Hertford County
Hertford County is home to Ahoskie, Murfreesboro and Winton.
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 Hertford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,414 | 19,015 | ▼ 11.2% | 82nd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,090 | 8,390 | ▼ 7.7% | 94th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,573 | $49,904 | ▲ 26.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 429 | 405 | ▼ 5.6% | 54th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 16 | ▼ 42.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 52 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 222 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. 19,015 people live here, down 11.2% since 2020. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Hertford County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.93¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Electrical contractors employ 16, down 42.9% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $41,354 a year.
Who powers Hertford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +52 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hertford 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% |
| Roanoke Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,049 | 21.14¢ | 24% |
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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 222 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aulander Holloman Solar, LLC | Aulander Holloman Solar, LLC | Solar | 99 MW | 2018 |
| Vaughn Creek PV1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2017 |
| Colice Hall Solar | Colice Hall Solar LLC | Solar | 17 MW | 2023 |
| Underwood PV2 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 16 MW | 2020 |
| Hertford Solar Power, LLC | Capital V LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2022 |
| HWY 158 PV | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 9 MW | 2020 |
The Hertford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,390 | $49,904 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 405 | $60,786 | 0.91 |
| Electrical contractors | 16 | $41,354 | 0.26 |
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 Hertford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hertford County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Gates County, Northampton County.
Hertford County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hertford County, Southampton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hertford County | 19,015 | ▼ 7.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Bertie County | 17,086 | ▼ 6.2% | 45 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Chowan County | 14,082 | ▲ 9.9% | 211 MW | — | — | — |
| Gates County | 10,234 | ▼ 6.0% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Northampton County | 16,491 | ▼ 14.3% | 363 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Southampton County VA | 18,110 | ▼ 4.7% | 182 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of North Carolina
Hertford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hertford County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Hertford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Roanoke Electric Member Corp. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hertford County?
16 operating plants with 222 MW of capacity. The largest is Aulander Holloman Solar, LLC (99 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Hertford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hertford County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Southampton County.
Is Hertford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,390 jobs in 2025 against 9,090 in 2019 (-7.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 429 to 405.
Does Hertford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hertford County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.