Hyde County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Engelhard and Fairfield
Hyde 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. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 9.3% in 2019. Hyde County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Engelhard, Fairfield, Ocracoke, are unincorporated and governed by the county. Employers here counted 1,705 jobs in 2025, down 6.2% from 2019. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 41% of it battery storage.
Cities and towns in Hyde County
Hyde County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Engelhard, Fairfield, Ocracoke, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Engelhard, Fairfield, Ocracoke, Swan Quarter.
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 Hyde County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,508 | 4,554 | ▲ 1.0% | 99th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,818 | 1,705 | ▼ 6.2% | 88th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,230 | $44,547 | ▲ 30.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 103 | 97 | ▼ 5.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 9.3% | 4.2% | ▼ 5.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Hyde 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. 4,554 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Hyde County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hyde 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% |
| Tideland Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,551 | 16.18¢ | 26% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 4 MW | 41% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 24% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Acre Solar Energy Storage | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 4 MW | 2023 |
| Ocracoke Hybrid | North Carolina El Member Corp | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1991 |
The Hyde County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,705 | $44,547 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 97 | $41,183 | 1.07 |
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 Hyde County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hyde County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Beaufort County.
Hyde County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Hyde County, Beaufort 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyde County | 4,554 | ▼ 6.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaufort County | 44,670 | ▲ 4.9% | 196 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dare County | 38,245 | ▲ 6.2% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Tyrrell County | 3,537 | ▼ 8.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 10,638 | ▼ 3.0% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Hyde County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hyde County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Hyde County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Tideland Electric Member Corp. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hyde County?
2 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Rose Acre Solar Energy Storage (4 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Hyde County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hyde County.
Is Hyde County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,705 jobs in 2025 against 1,818 in 2019 (-6.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 103 to 97.
Does Hyde County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hyde County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.