Montgomery County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Troy, Biscoe and Mount Gilead
Montgomery 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. Electrical contractors employ 40, up 73.9% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $61,573 a year. Montgomery County is home to Troy, Biscoe, Mount Gilead and Star. Construction employs 589, up 29.2% since 2019. Next door, Richmond County has 1 data center. 84 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Montgomery County
Montgomery County is home to Troy, Biscoe, Mount Gilead and Star.
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 Montgomery County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,700 | 26,403 | ▲ 2.7% | 74th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,268 | 8,771 | ▼ 5.4% | 86th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,126 | $50,240 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 456 | 589 | ▲ 29.2% | 19th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23 | 40 | ▲ 73.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 84 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 8,771 jobs in 2025, down 5.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 261 MW of capacity, 48% of it hydro. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Montgomery County, one of 4 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 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 26,403 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Montgomery County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +84 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Montgomery 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% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
| Randolph Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,086 | 15.91¢ | 23% |
| Pee Dee Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,396 | 14.77¢ | 29% |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 126 MW | 48% |
| Solar | 126 MW | 48% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tillery | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Hydro | 84 MW | 1928 |
| Cabin Creek Solar, LLC | Cabin Creek Solar, LLC | Solar | 70 MW | 2023 |
| Tuckertown Hydro | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 42 MW | 1962 |
| Montgomery Solar LLC | Oppidum Renewables USA, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2015 |
| Uwharrie Mountain Renewable | Uwharrie Mountain Renewable Energy, LLC | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2014 |
| Achilles Solar | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
The Montgomery County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,771 | $50,240 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 589 | $66,015 | 1.27 |
| Electrical contractors | 40 | $61,573 | 0.63 |
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 Montgomery County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Montgomery County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Davidson County, Rowan County.
Montgomery County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 26,403 | ▼ 5.4% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Anson County | 21,758 | ▼ 9.4% | 576 MW | — | — | — |
| Davidson County | 180,182 | ▲ 4.9% | 54 MW | 135 MW | — | 1 |
| Moore County | 110,619 | ▲ 15.6% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 149,516 | ▲ 0.6% | 71 MW | — | — | — |
| Richmond County | 42,041 | ● 0.0% | 2,682 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Rowan County | 155,096 | ▲ 4.8% | 1,943 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Stanly County | 68,830 | ▲ 22.6% | 282 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Montgomery County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montgomery County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Montgomery County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Randolph Electric Member Corp, Pee Dee Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Montgomery County?
13 operating plants with 261 MW of capacity. The largest is Tillery (84 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Montgomery County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Montgomery County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Richmond County.
Is Montgomery County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,771 jobs in 2025 against 9,268 in 2019 (-5.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 456 to 589.
Does Montgomery County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montgomery County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.