Northampton County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Milwaukee
Northampton County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Northampton County is home to Gaston, Garysburg, Rich Square and Conway. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “32-month data center moratorium”. Employers here counted 4,699 jobs in 2025, down 14.3% from 2019. Construction employs 186, up 10.1% since 2019. 220 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Northampton County
Northampton County is home to Gaston, Garysburg, Rich Square and Conway.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Milwaukee.
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 Northampton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,433 | 16,491 | ▼ 5.4% | 86th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,486 | 4,699 | ▼ 14.3% | 99th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,554 | $51,980 | ▲ 38.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 169 | 186 | ▲ 10.1% | 43rd of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 4.5% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 220 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 363 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Northampton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.93¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 16,491 people live here, down 5.4% since 2020.
Who powers Northampton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +220 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Northampton 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% |
| Roanoke Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,049 | 21.14¢ | 24% |
| Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 135 | 14.40¢ | 0% |
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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 363 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Solar | Oak Solar LLC | Solar | 120 MW | 2023 |
| Gutenberg Solar | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 80 MW | 2019 |
| Pecan Solar | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 75 MW | 2018 |
| Pleasant Hill PV1 | Pine Gate Renewables | Solar | 20 MW | 2024 |
| Turkey Creek PV1 | Fresh Air Energy XXXV, LLC | Solar | 14 MW | 2017 |
| White Farm Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
The Northampton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,699 | $51,980 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 186 | $85,420 | 0.75 |
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 Northampton County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 | |
| Northampton County Commissioners, NC data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Northampton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Northampton County, Brunswick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton County | 16,491 | ▼ 14.3% | 363 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Bertie County | 17,086 | ▼ 6.2% | 45 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Brunswick County VA | 15,727 | ▼ 3.1% | 1,483 MW | 903 MW | 1 | — |
| Greensville County VA | 11,181 | ▼ 23.0% | 2,095 MW | — | — | — |
| Halifax County | 46,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 850 MW | 173 MW | — | — |
| Hertford County | 19,015 | ▼ 7.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Southampton County VA | 18,110 | ▼ 4.7% | 182 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Warren County | 18,898 | ▼ 4.7% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Northampton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Northampton County, North Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Northampton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Roanoke Electric Member Corp, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Northampton County?
17 operating plants with 363 MW of capacity. The largest is Oak Solar (120 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Northampton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Northampton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Brunswick County.
Is Northampton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,699 jobs in 2025 against 5,486 in 2019 (-14.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 169 to 186.
Does Northampton County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Northampton County, 2 in force.