Tyrrell County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Tyrrell County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Tyrrell County is home to Columbia. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 6.3% in 2019. Employers here counted 972 jobs in 2025, down 8.5% from 2019. 3,537 people live here, up 9.3% since 2020. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Tyrrell County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.93¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities.
Cities and towns in Tyrrell County
Tyrrell County is home to Columbia.
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 Tyrrell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,237 | 3,537 | ▲ 9.3% | 100th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,062 | 972 | ▼ 8.5% | 96th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,311 | $49,206 | ▲ 43.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.3% | 4.3% | ▼ 2.0pts | — |
Who powers Tyrrell County
Utilities with service territory in Tyrrell 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% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Tyrrell County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Tyrrell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 972 | $49,206 | 1.00 |
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 Tyrrell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Tyrrell County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide.
Tyrrell County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Tyrrell County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrrell County | 3,537 | ▼ 8.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Hyde County | 4,554 | ▼ 6.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 10,638 | ▼ 3.0% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Tyrrell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tyrrell County, North Carolina?
1 utility has service territory in Tyrrell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Tyrrell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tyrrell County.
Is Tyrrell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 972 jobs in 2025 against 1,062 in 2019 (-8.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Tyrrell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Tyrrell County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.