Rockingham County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Eden, Reidsville and Wentworth
Rockingham County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Rockingham County is home to Eden, Reidsville, Wentworth and Mayodan. Next door, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, has 3 data centers. Its power plants have 1,718 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas. 12 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 23,947 jobs in 2025, down 4.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Rockingham County
Rockingham County is home to Eden, Reidsville, Wentworth and Mayodan.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ruffin.
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 Rockingham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 91,201 | 94,195 | ▲ 3.3% | 32nd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25,049 | 23,947 | ▼ 4.4% | 80th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,114 | $48,203 | ▲ 33.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Rockingham County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 94,195 people live here, up 3.3% since 2020.
Who powers Rockingham County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rockingham County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,919,372 | 13.94¢ | 42% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,675 MW | 97% |
| Solar | 42 MW | 2% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County CT Station | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Natural gas | 978 MW | 2000 |
| Dan River | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Natural gas | 698 MW | 2012 |
| Dibrell Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2013 |
| Husky Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Jacob Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Moore Solar | Moore Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
The Rockingham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,947 | $48,203 | 1.00 |
| Power and communication line construction | 10 | $93,219 | 0.26 |
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 Rockingham County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rockingham County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Alamance County, Forsyth County, Guilford County, Stokes County.
Rockingham County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Rockingham County, Stokes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County | 94,195 | ▼ 4.4% | 1,718 MW | — | — | — |
| Alamance County | 186,177 | ▲ 6.2% | 33 MW | 35 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Caswell County | 22,563 | ▲ 0.2% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Forsyth County | 401,718 | ▼ 0.4% | 21 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
| Guilford County | 562,234 | ▲ 2.3% | 44 MW | 40 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Henry County VA | 49,242 | ▼ 4.0% | 156 MW | 201 MW | — | — |
| Pittsylvania County VA | 59,490 | ▲ 7.5% | 846 MW | 166 MW | 3 | — |
| Stokes County | 46,126 | ▼ 1.0% | 2,555 MW | 34 MW | — | 1 |
More of North Carolina
Rockingham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rockingham County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Rockingham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Eden, NC in?
Eden is in Rockingham County, North Carolina. About 15,500 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Reidsville, NC in?
Reidsville is in Rockingham County, North Carolina. About 14,692 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Rockingham County?
12 operating plants with 1,718 MW of capacity. The largest is Rockingham County CT Station (978 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Rockingham County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rockingham County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pittsylvania County.
Is Rockingham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,947 jobs in 2025 against 25,049 in 2019 (-4.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Rockingham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rockingham County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.