Wake County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Raleigh, Cary and Apex
The data center boom is not abstract in Wake County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 12 data centers in Wake County, 14% of North Carolina's total. Wake County is home to Raleigh, most of Cary (179,502 of its 183,582 residents), Apex and most of Wake Forest (55,435 of its 58,147 residents). 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including New Hill Digital Campus (300 MW). Construction employs 45,166, up 28.2% since 2019. 56 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Duke Energy Progress - (NC) (battery storage). 56 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Wake County
Wake County is home to Raleigh, most of Cary (179,502 of its 183,582 residents), Apex and most of Wake Forest (55,435 of its 58,147 residents).
- Cary also extends into Chatham County.
- Wake Forest also extends into Franklin County.
- Angier also extends into Harnett County.
- Durham also extends into Durham County.
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 Wake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,130,903 | 1,257,235 | ▲ 11.2% | 1st of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 575,410 | 665,775 | ▲ 15.7% | 13th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $61,423 | $81,099 | ▲ 32.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35,233 | 45,166 | ▲ 28.2% | 20th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,295 | 5,133 | ▲ 19.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 768 | 833 | ▲ 8.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,325 | 3,016 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 114 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 56 MW | 5% of today's fleet | 16th of 30 by size |
Employers here counted 665,775 jobs in 2025, up 15.7% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 5,133, up 19.5% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $83,141 a year. Its power plants have 1,108 MW of capacity, 86% of it nuclear. 10 MW has retired here since 2019, including Wake County LFG Facility (other technologies, 9 MW, 2024). 114 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Owners plan to retire 1 MW more by 2035, led by SAS Solar Farm in 2030. 1,257,235 people live here, up 11.2% since 2020, 1st of 100 North Carolina counties by population. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Wake County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Who powers Wake County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +104 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wake 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% |
| Wake Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,268 | 13.42¢ | 14% |
| Town of Apex- (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 29,289 | 10.52¢ | 26% |
| North Carolina Eastern M P A | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Wake Forest - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 951 MW | 86% |
| Battery storage | 106 MW | 10% |
| Solar | 34 MW | 3% |
| Natural gas | 18 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris (NC) | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Nuclear | 951 MW | 1987 |
| Knightdale Battery | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Battery storage | 100 MW | 2025 |
| NCSU Cates Cogeneration Plant | NC State University, Energy Systems | Natural gas | 11 MW | 2012 |
| NCSU CCUP Cogeneration Plant | NC State University, Energy Systems | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2019 |
| Creech Solar 2, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Fuquay Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2013 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hill 1 Battery | Batteries | 56 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County LFG Facility | Other technologies | 9 MW | 2024 |
| SAS Solar Farm | Solar | 1 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAS Solar Farm | Solar | 1 MW | 2030 |
The Wake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 665,775 | $81,099 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 45,166 | $89,732 | 1.28 |
| Electrical contractors | 5,133 | $83,141 | 1.07 |
| Power and communication line construction | 833 | $95,001 | 0.77 |
| Electric utilities | 1,675 | $133,131 | 0.93 |
| Data processing and hosting | 3,016 | $170,350 | 1.46 |
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 Wake County
12 data centers in Wake County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hill Digital Campus | withdrawn | 300 MW | ||
| Natelli Investments Wake County 250MW | withdrawn | 250 MW |
Wake County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wake County, Durham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | 1,257,235 | ▲ 15.7% | 1,108 MW | 56 MW | 12 | — |
| Chatham County | 85,111 | ▲ 31.9% | 42 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Durham County | 347,240 | ▲ 10.5% | 19 MW | — | 9 | 1 |
| Franklin County | 82,037 | ▲ 19.6% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Granville County | 61,421 | ▲ 0.5% | 43 MW | — | — | — |
| Harnett County | 150,137 | ▲ 15.1% | 57 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnston County | 256,448 | ▲ 29.2% | 112 MW | 73 MW | — | — |
| Nash County | 99,365 | ▼ 0.8% | 379 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of North Carolina
Wake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wake County, North Carolina?
6 utilities have service territory in Wake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Wake Electric Membership Corp, Town of Apex- (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Raleigh, NC in?
Raleigh is in Wake County, North Carolina. About 504,646 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cary, NC in?
Most of Cary is in Wake County: 179,502 of its 183,582 residents, or 98%. The rest of the city lies in Chatham County.
What county is Apex, NC in?
Apex is in Wake County, North Carolina. About 80,387 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wake County?
16 operating plants with 1,108 MW of capacity. The largest is Harris (NC) (951 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Wake County?
56 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 56 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Duke Energy Progress - (NC).
Are there data centers in Wake County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 12 data centers in Wake County.
Is Wake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 665,775 jobs in 2025 against 575,410 in 2019 (+15.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 35,233 to 45,166.
Does Wake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wake County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.