Watauga County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Boone and Blowing Rock
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Watauga County. Watauga County is home to Boone, most of Blowing Rock (1,229 of its 1,324 residents) and most of Beech Mountain (598 of its 659 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County data center moratorium”. Construction employs 1,131, up 19.8% since 2019. Employers here counted 24,591 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019. Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) is the largest utility serving Watauga County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities.
Cities and towns in Watauga County
Watauga County is home to Boone, most of Blowing Rock (1,229 of its 1,324 residents) and most of Beech Mountain (598 of its 659 residents).
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cove Creek, Foscoe, Valle Crucis.
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 Watauga County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 54,466 | 54,786 | ▲ 0.6% | 50th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,184 | 24,591 | ▲ 1.7% | 51st of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,367 | $51,186 | ▲ 37.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 944 | 1,131 | ▲ 19.8% | 25th of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 54,786 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Watauga County
Utilities with service territory in Watauga County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 71,926 | 14.59¢ | 24% |
| Mountain Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,491 | 12.51¢ | 36% |
| New River Light & Power Co | State | Bundled | 7,247 | 12.45¢ | 70% |
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 Watauga County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Watauga County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 24,591 | $51,186 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,131 | $57,654 | 0.87 |
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 Watauga County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County data center moratorium | In force | 2026 |
Watauga County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Watauga County, Caldwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga County | 54,786 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Ashe County | 27,514 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Avery County | 18,110 | ▲ 16.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Caldwell County | 81,105 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Johnson County TN | 18,718 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilkes County | 66,233 | ▼ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Watauga County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Watauga County, North Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Watauga County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC), Mountain Electric Coop, Inc, New River Light & Power Co. The largest, Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC), charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Boone, NC in?
Boone is in Watauga County, North Carolina. About 19,929 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Watauga County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Watauga County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Caldwell County.
Is Watauga County adding jobs?
Employers counted 24,591 jobs in 2025 against 24,184 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 944 to 1,131.
Does Watauga County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Watauga County, 1 in force.