Stanly County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Albemarle, Locust and Norwood
No data center or power plant project is on record in Stanly County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Stanly County is home to Albemarle, most of Locust (5,411 of its 6,120 residents), Norwood and Oakboro. Employers here counted 23,791 jobs in 2025, up 22.6% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 100 North Carolina counties). Next door, Union County has 1 data center. 126 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 282 MW of capacity, 50% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Stanly County
Stanly County is home to Albemarle, most of Locust (5,411 of its 6,120 residents), Norwood and Oakboro.
- Locust also extends into Cabarrus County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aquadale, Millingport.
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 Stanly County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 62,666 | 68,830 | ▲ 9.8% | 42nd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,402 | 23,791 | ▲ 22.6% | 6th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,975 | $47,646 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 126 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 147, at an average $49,675 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 68,830 people live here, up 9.8% since 2020. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Stanly County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities.
Who powers Stanly County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +126 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Stanly 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% |
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
| Union Electric Membership Corp - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 84,602 | 13.37¢ | 12% |
| Pee Dee Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,396 | 14.77¢ | 29% |
| City of Albemarle - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,248 | 10.85¢ | 42% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 140 MW | 50% |
| Solar | 136 MW | 48% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrows (NC) | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 109 MW | 1917 |
| Misenheimer Solar LLC | Misenheimer Solar LLC | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
| Stanly Solar, LLC | SunStrong Management | Solar | 50 MW | 2022 |
| Falls Hydro | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 31 MW | 1919 |
| Fisher Solar Farm - NC | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Misenheimer Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
The Stanly County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,791 | $47,646 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 147 | $49,675 | 0.86 |
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 Stanly County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stanly County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Davidson County, Rowan County.
Stanly County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Stanly County, Richmond 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanly County | 68,830 | ▲ 22.6% | 282 MW | — | — | — |
| Anson County | 21,758 | ▼ 9.4% | 576 MW | — | — | — |
| Cabarrus County | 249,725 | ▲ 19.1% | 128 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Davidson County | 180,182 | ▲ 4.9% | 54 MW | 135 MW | — | 1 |
| Montgomery County | 26,403 | ▼ 5.4% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Richmond County | 42,041 | ● 0.0% | 2,682 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Rowan County | 155,096 | ▲ 4.8% | 1,943 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Union County | 267,674 | ▲ 20.0% | 107 MW | 12 MW | 1 | — |
More of North Carolina
Stanly County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stanly County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Stanly County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Union Electric Membership Corp - (NC), Pee Dee Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Albemarle, NC in?
Albemarle is in Stanly County, North Carolina. About 17,769 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Stanly County?
9 operating plants with 282 MW of capacity. The largest is Narrows (NC) (109 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Stanly County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stanly County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Union County.
Is Stanly County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,791 jobs in 2025 against 19,402 in 2019 (+22.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Stanly County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stanly County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.