Vance County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Henderson
No data center or power plant project is on record in Vance County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Vance County is home to Henderson. Next door, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, has 18 data centers. Its power plants have 108 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 14,173 jobs in 2025, down 1.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Vance County
Vance County is home to Henderson.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): South Henderson.
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 Vance County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,554 | 42,638 | ▲ 0.2% | 60th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,400 | 14,173 | ▼ 1.6% | 70th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,210 | $48,239 | ▲ 33.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.5% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Vance County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 42,638 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Vance County
Utilities with service territory in Vance 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% |
| Wake Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,268 | 13.42¢ | 14% |
| Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 135 | 14.40¢ | 0% |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 108 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullock Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 50 MW | 2017 |
| Dement Farm LLC | SRE Utility Solar 1, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2013 |
| Kelly Solar, LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Melinda Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Southerland Farm Solar | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Spring Valley Farm 2, LLC | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
The Vance County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,173 | $48,239 | 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 Vance County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Vance County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Mecklenburg County.
Vance County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Vance County, Mecklenburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vance County | 42,638 | ▼ 1.6% | 108 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 82,037 | ▲ 19.6% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Granville County | 61,421 | ▲ 0.5% | 43 MW | — | — | — |
| Mecklenburg County VA | 30,747 | ▲ 4.2% | 487 MW | — | 18 | 1 |
| Warren County | 18,898 | ▼ 4.7% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Vance County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Vance County, North Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Vance County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Wake Electric Membership Corp, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Henderson, NC in?
Henderson is in Vance County, North Carolina. About 15,013 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Vance County?
13 operating plants with 108 MW of capacity. The largest is Bullock Solar, LLC (50 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Vance County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Vance County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mecklenburg County.
Is Vance County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,173 jobs in 2025 against 14,400 in 2019 (-1.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Vance County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Vance County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.