Yadkin County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Yadkinville, Jonesville and Boonville
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Yadkin County. Yadkin County is home to Yadkinville, Jonesville, Boonville and East Bend. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Proposed one-year data center moratorium”. 93 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 103 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 230, down 2.5% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $78,317 a year.
Cities and towns in Yadkin County
Yadkin County is home to Yadkinville, Jonesville, Boonville and East Bend.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Smithtown.
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 Yadkin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,250 | 38,325 | ▲ 2.9% | 65th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,022 | 9,954 | ▼ 0.7% | 64th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,783 | $47,507 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 236 | 230 | ▼ 2.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 93 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Yadkin County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Employers here counted 9,954 jobs in 2025, down 0.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 38,325 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Yadkin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +93 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Yadkin 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% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
| Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 28,080 | 16.06¢ | 6% |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 103 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Solar, LLC | SunStrong Management | Solar | 60 MW | 2021 |
| Two Hearted Solar | Two Hearted Solar, LLC | Solar | 22 MW | 2026 |
| 1009 Yadkin Solar | 1009 Yadkin Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Ashley Solar Farm | Ashley Solar Farm, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2015 |
| Yadkinville Solar | Oppidum Renewables USA, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2015 |
| 1047 Little Mountain Solar, LLC | CI-II Mitchell Holding LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2019 |
The Yadkin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,954 | $47,507 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 230 | $78,317 | 3.20 |
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 Yadkin County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed one-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-08 |
Yadkin County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Yadkin County, Forsyth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yadkin County | 38,325 | ▼ 0.7% | 103 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Davie County | 45,855 | ▲ 13.4% | 53 MW | 60 MW | — | 1 |
| Forsyth County | 401,718 | ▼ 0.4% | 21 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
| Iredell County | 211,798 | ▲ 7.1% | 43 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Surry County | 72,287 | ▼ 0.8% | 92 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wilkes County | 66,233 | ▼ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Yadkin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yadkin County, North Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Yadkin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Yadkin County?
8 operating plants with 103 MW of capacity. The largest is Sugar Solar, LLC (60 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Yadkin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Yadkin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Forsyth County.
Is Yadkin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,954 jobs in 2025 against 10,022 in 2019 (-0.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Yadkin County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Yadkin County, 1 in force.