Hoke County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Raeford
Hoke County is a generation frontier for North Carolina. Hoke County is home to Raeford. 40 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Headwater Energy, LLC (solar). 40 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 413, up 18.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 9,285 jobs in 2025, up 6.7% from 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Hoke County
Hoke County is home to Raeford.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ashley Heights, Bowmore, Dundarrach, Five Points, Rockfish, Silver City.
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 Hoke County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 52,230 | 56,939 | ▲ 9.0% | 48th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,703 | 9,285 | ▲ 6.7% | 33rd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,944 | $48,005 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 350 | 413 | ▲ 18.0% | 28th of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.5% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 40 MW | 115% of today's fleet | 20th of 30 by size |
Its power plants have 35 MW of capacity, 57% of it solar. 56,939 people live here, up 9.0% since 2020. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Hoke County, one of 2 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 4.5% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Who powers Hoke County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hoke 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% |
| Lumbee River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 64,396 | 12.81¢ | 15% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 20 MW | 57% |
| Battery storage | 15 MW | 43% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLauchin | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 15 MW | 2024 |
| Elk Solar LLC | SolRiver Capital LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Raeford Farm | SRE Utility Solar 1, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2012 |
| Shelter Solar | Sol Systems | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Shankle Solar Center LLC | Shankle Solar Center LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 40 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Headwater Energy, LLC |
The Hoke County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,285 | $48,005 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 413 | $52,421 | 0.84 |
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 Hoke County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hoke County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Cumberland County.
Hoke County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hoke County, Richmond 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoke County | 56,939 | ▲ 6.7% | 35 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 338,473 | ▲ 1.5% | 455 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Moore County | 110,619 | ▲ 15.6% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Richmond County | 42,041 | ● 0.0% | 2,682 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Robeson County | 119,941 | ▼ 5.3% | 419 MW | 108 MW | — | — |
| Scotland County | 33,322 | ▲ 4.7% | 149 MW | 160 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Hoke County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hoke County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Hoke County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Lumbee River Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hoke County?
5 operating plants with 35 MW of capacity. The largest is McLauchin (15 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Hoke County?
40 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 40 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Headwater Energy, LLC.
Are there data centers in Hoke County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hoke County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Richmond County.
Is Hoke County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,285 jobs in 2025 against 8,703 in 2019 (+6.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 350 to 413.
Does Hoke County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hoke County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.