Yancey County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Burnsville
Yancey 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. Electrical contractors employ 24, up 84.6% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $48,296 a year. Yancey County is home to Burnsville. Next door, Buncombe County has 3 data centers. Construction employs 378, up 2.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 4,927 jobs in 2025, up 8.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Yancey County
Yancey County is home to Burnsville.
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 Yancey County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,492 | 19,084 | ▲ 3.2% | 81st of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,532 | 4,927 | ▲ 8.7% | 27th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,068 | $50,621 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 368 | 378 | ▲ 2.7% | 48th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13 | 24 | ▲ 84.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Yancey County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 19,084 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Yancey County
Utilities with service territory in Yancey 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% |
| French Broad Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,147 | 14.78¢ | 20% |
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 Yancey County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Yancey County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,927 | $50,621 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 378 | $57,401 | 1.45 |
| Electrical contractors | 24 | $48,296 | 0.68 |
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 Yancey County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Yancey County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Madison County, McDowell County.
Yancey County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Yancey County, Buncombe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yancey County | 19,084 | ▲ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Buncombe County | 277,417 | ▼ 0.2% | 1,033 MW | 57 MW | 3 | — |
| Madison County | 22,553 | ▲ 8.7% | 12 MW | — | — | 1 |
| McDowell County | 45,198 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Mitchell County | 15,062 | ▼ 1.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Unicoi County TN | 17,856 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Yancey County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yancey County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Yancey County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), French Broad Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Yancey County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Yancey County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Buncombe County.
Is Yancey County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,927 jobs in 2025 against 4,532 in 2019 (+8.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 368 to 378.
Does Yancey County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Yancey County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.