Nash County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rocky Mount, Nashville and Red Oak
Nash County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Nash County is home to most of Rocky Mount (39,790 of its 55,120 residents), Nashville, Red Oak and Spring Hope. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Nash County adopts moratorium on data centers and crypto mining”. Construction employs 2,593, up 17.6% since 2019. 214 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 481, up 12.1% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $72,088 a year.
Cities and towns in Nash County
Nash County is home to most of Rocky Mount (39,790 of its 55,120 residents), Nashville, Red Oak and Spring Hope.
- Rocky Mount also extends into Edgecombe County.
- Sharpsburg also extends into Wilson County, Edgecombe County.
- Whitakers also extends into Edgecombe County.
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 Nash County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 95,633 | 99,365 | ▲ 3.9% | 30th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40,575 | 40,231 | ▼ 0.8% | 66th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,890 | $55,481 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,205 | 2,593 | ▲ 17.6% | 29th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 429 | 481 | ▲ 12.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 214 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Rocky Mount Mill (hydro, 2 MW, 2024). Its power plants have 379 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Nash County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Employers here counted 40,231 jobs in 2025, down 0.8% from 2019. 99,365 people live here, up 3.9% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019.
Who powers Nash County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +213 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Nash 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% |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| Wake Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,268 | 13.42¢ | 14% |
| City of Wilson - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 32,078 | 12.13¢ | 28% |
| City of Rocky Mount - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 25,407 | 12.18¢ | 40% |
| Edgecombe-Martin County E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,716 | 16.06¢ | 21% |
| Halifax Electric Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Sharpsburg - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 32
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 379 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bud Solar Plant | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Solar | 80 MW | 2025 |
| Phobos Solar, LLC | Phobos Solar, LLC | Solar | 79 MW | 2023 |
| Brantley Solar | John Laing US Solar Corp. | Solar | 50 MW | 2018 |
| East Nash PV2 | Pine Gate Renewables | Solar | 23 MW | 2023 |
| Watson Seed Farm PV1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2015 |
| Whitakers | Deriva Energy | Solar | 12 MW | 2015 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mount Mill | Hydro | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Nash County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,231 | $55,481 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,593 | $72,352 | 1.22 |
| Electrical contractors | 481 | $72,088 | 1.66 |
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 Nash County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nash County adopts moratorium on data centers and crypto mining | In force | 2026-09 |
Nash County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Nash County, Wake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nash County | 99,365 | ▼ 0.8% | 379 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Edgecombe County | 49,121 | ▼ 6.5% | 284 MW | 75 MW | — | 1 |
| Franklin County | 82,037 | ▲ 19.6% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Halifax County | 46,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 850 MW | 173 MW | — | — |
| Johnston County | 256,448 | ▲ 29.2% | 112 MW | 73 MW | — | — |
| Wake County | 1,257,235 | ▲ 15.7% | 1,108 MW | 56 MW | 12 | — |
| Warren County | 18,898 | ▼ 4.7% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
| Wilson County | 81,150 | ▼ 3.4% | 131 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Nash County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nash County, North Carolina?
8 utilities have service territory in Nash County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Virginia Electric & Power Co, Wake Electric Membership Corp, City of Wilson - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Rocky Mount, NC in?
Most of Rocky Mount is in Nash County: 39,790 of its 55,120 residents, or 72%. The rest of the city lies in Edgecombe County.
What power plants are in Nash County?
32 operating plants with 379 MW of capacity. The largest is Red Bud Solar Plant (80 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Nash County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nash County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wake County.
Is Nash County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,231 jobs in 2025 against 40,575 in 2019 (-0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,205 to 2,593.
Does Nash County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Nash County, 1 in force.