Moore County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pinehurst, Southern Pines and Aberdeen
No data center or power plant project is on record in Moore County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Moore County is home to Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen and Whispering Pines. Construction employs 2,008, up 22.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 42,751 jobs in 2025, up 15.6% from 2019. Next door, Lee County has 1 data center. 12 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Moore County
Moore County is home to Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen and Whispering Pines.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Jackson Springs, Seven Lakes.
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 Moore County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 100,295 | 110,619 | ▲ 10.3% | 27th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 36,973 | 42,751 | ▲ 15.6% | 14th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,808 | $56,509 | ▲ 38.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,634 | 2,008 | ▲ 22.9% | 24th of 60 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17 | 63 | ▲ 270.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 49 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. 110,619 people live here, up 10.3% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Moore County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities.
Who powers Moore County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Moore 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% |
| Randolph Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,086 | 15.91¢ | 23% |
| Central Electric Membership Corp. - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,071 | 14.34¢ | 12% |
| 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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 49 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint Hill Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Foxfire Solar Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Gladstone Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
| Mustang Solar | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Pine Valley Solar Farm, LLC | SunStrong Management | Solar | 5 MW | 2022 |
| Pinesage | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
The Moore County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 42,751 | $56,509 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,008 | $70,111 | 0.89 |
| Data processing and hosting | 63 | $93,843 | 0.47 |
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 Moore County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Moore County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Chatham County, Cumberland County, Harnett County, Lee County.
Moore County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Moore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moore County | 110,619 | ▲ 15.6% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Chatham County | 85,111 | ▲ 31.9% | 42 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cumberland County | 338,473 | ▲ 1.5% | 455 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Harnett County | 150,137 | ▲ 15.1% | 57 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Hoke County | 56,939 | ▲ 6.7% | 35 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Lee County | 70,258 | ▲ 7.2% | 39 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Montgomery County | 26,403 | ▼ 5.4% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 149,516 | ▲ 0.6% | 71 MW | — | — | — |
| Richmond County | 42,041 | ● 0.0% | 2,682 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Scotland County | 33,322 | ▲ 4.7% | 149 MW | 160 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Moore County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Moore County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Moore County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Lumbee River Elec Member Corp, Randolph Electric Member Corp, Central Electric Membership Corp. - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pinehurst, NC in?
Pinehurst is in Moore County, North Carolina. About 18,670 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Southern Pines, NC in?
Southern Pines is in Moore County, North Carolina. About 17,357 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Aberdeen, NC in?
Aberdeen is in Moore County, North Carolina. About 10,066 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Moore County?
11 operating plants with 49 MW of capacity. The largest is Flint Hill Solar, LLC (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Moore County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Moore County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lee County.
Is Moore County adding jobs?
Employers counted 42,751 jobs in 2025 against 36,973 in 2019 (+15.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,634 to 2,008.
Does Moore County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Moore County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.