Onslow County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jacksonville, Holly Ridge and Swansboro
No data center or power plant project is on record in Onslow County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Onslow County is home to Jacksonville, Holly Ridge, Swansboro and Richlands. Construction employs 3,091, up 29.3% since 2019. Next door, Jones County has 224 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 53,881 jobs in 2025, up 9.8% from 2019. 11 MW has retired here since 2019, including Camp Lejeune Solar and Energy Storage (battery storage, 11 MW, 2023).
Cities and towns in Onslow County
Onslow County is home to Jacksonville, Holly Ridge, Swansboro and Richlands.
- Surf City also extends into Pender County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Half Moon, Piney Green, Pumpkin Center, Sneads Ferry.
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 Onslow County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 204,984 | 217,175 | ▲ 5.9% | 13th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49,060 | 53,881 | ▲ 9.8% | 24th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,258 | $48,929 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,390 | 3,091 | ▲ 29.3% | 18th of 60 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 13 | ▼ 13.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37 | 13 | ▼ 64.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 31 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 11 MW | — |
31 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 46 MW of capacity, 68% of it solar. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Onslow 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 4.3% in 2019. 217,175 people live here, up 5.9% since 2020.
Who powers Onslow County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Onslow 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% |
| Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 79,690 | 13.09¢ | 19% |
| Carteret-Craven El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 38,858 | 12.15¢ | 23% |
| Four County Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,807 | 13.98¢ | 24% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 31 MW | 68% |
| Battery storage | 12 MW | 27% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Lejeune Solar and Energy Storage | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Solar | 13 MW | 2015 |
| Archie Horne | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2024 |
| 1034 Catherine Lake Solar, LLC | 1034 Catherine Lake Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Swansboro Solar, LLC | Swansboro Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| 1073 Onslow Solar | 1073 Onslow Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Queens Creek BESS | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Lejeune Solar and Energy Storage | Battery storage | 11 MW | 2023 |
The Onslow County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 53,881 | $48,929 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,091 | $61,088 | 1.08 |
| Power and communication line construction | 13 | $45,978 | 0.15 |
| Data processing and hosting | 13 | $93,153 | 0.08 |
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 Onslow County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Onslow County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide.
Onslow County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Onslow County, Jones 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onslow County | 217,175 | ▲ 9.8% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
| Carteret County | 70,469 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Duplin County | 51,571 | ▲ 3.9% | 195 MW | 123 MW | — | — |
| Jones County | 9,575 | ▼ 2.0% | 120 MW | 224 MW | — | — |
| Pender County | 72,111 | ▲ 25.7% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Onslow County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Onslow County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Onslow County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp, Carteret-Craven El Member Corp, Four County Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Jacksonville, NC in?
Jacksonville is in Onslow County, North Carolina. About 72,732 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Onslow County?
9 operating plants with 46 MW of capacity. The largest is Camp Lejeune Solar and Energy Storage (13 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Onslow County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Onslow County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jones County.
Is Onslow County adding jobs?
Employers counted 53,881 jobs in 2025 against 49,060 in 2019 (+9.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,390 to 3,091.
Does Onslow County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Onslow County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.