Sampson County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clinton and Roseboro
No data center or power plant project is on record in Sampson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Sampson County is home to Clinton, Roseboro, Garland and Newton Grove. Construction employs 684, down 33.8% since 2019. 10 MW has retired here since 2019, including Sampson County Disposal (other technologies, 10 MW, 2021). 30 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 17,386 jobs in 2025, down 5.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Sampson County
Sampson County is home to Clinton, Roseboro, Garland and Newton Grove.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bonnetsville, Delway, Ingold, Ivanhoe, Keener, Plain View, Spivey's Corner, Vann Crossroads.
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 Sampson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 59,078 | 61,504 | ▲ 4.1% | 46th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,318 | 17,386 | ▼ 5.1% | 83rd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,864 | $51,180 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,033 | 684 | ▼ 33.8% | 59th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73 | 72 | ▼ 1.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 30 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — |
Its power plants have 50 MW of capacity, 99% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 72, down 1.4% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $56,372 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Sampson 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. 61,504 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers Sampson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sampson 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% |
| South River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,730 | 13.30¢ | 17% |
| Four County Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,807 | 13.98¢ | 24% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,523 | 12.76¢ | 22% |
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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 50 MW | 99% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipperton Holdings LLC | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Harrison Solar, LLC | Harrison Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2020 |
| McGrigor Farm Solar | Carolina Solar Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
| Overhill Solar | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2022 |
| Soluga Farms 1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
| Starr | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sampson County Disposal | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2021 |
The Sampson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,386 | $51,180 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 684 | $55,858 | 0.74 |
| Electrical contractors | 72 | $56,372 | 0.57 |
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 Sampson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sampson County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Cumberland County, Harnett County.
Sampson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Sampson County, Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sampson County | 61,504 | ▼ 5.1% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Bladen County | 30,007 | ▼ 5.3% | 372 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 338,473 | ▲ 1.5% | 455 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Duplin County | 51,571 | ▲ 3.9% | 195 MW | 123 MW | — | — |
| Harnett County | 150,137 | ▲ 15.1% | 57 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnston County | 256,448 | ▲ 29.2% | 112 MW | 73 MW | — | — |
| Pender County | 72,111 | ▲ 25.7% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 122,278 | ▼ 1.4% | 2,181 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Sampson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sampson County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Sampson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), South River Elec Member Corp, Four County Elec Member Corp, Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sampson County?
14 operating plants with 50 MW of capacity. The largest is Clipperton Holdings LLC (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Sampson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sampson County.
Is Sampson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,386 jobs in 2025 against 18,318 in 2019 (-5.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,033 to 684.
Does Sampson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sampson County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.