Abbeville County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Abbeville, Calhoun Falls and Due West
No data center or power plant project is on record in Abbeville County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Abbeville County is home to Abbeville, Calhoun Falls and Due West. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Next door, Greenville County has 4 data centers. Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Abbeville County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.99¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.59¢ median for South Carolina utilities.
Cities and towns in Abbeville County
Abbeville County is home to Abbeville, Calhoun Falls and Due West.
- Honea Path also extends into Anderson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Antreville, Lake Secession.
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 Abbeville County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,267 | 24,836 | ▲ 2.3% | 37th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,536 | 5,581 | ▲ 0.8% | 25th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,714 | $51,855 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 5.1% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 5,581 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 24,836 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Abbeville County
Utilities with service territory in Abbeville County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 568,586 | 13.99¢ | 28% |
| Laurens Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 58,438 | 14.66¢ | 20% |
| City of Abbeville - (SC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Due West - (SC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Little River Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honea Path | Central Electric Power | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2003 |
The Abbeville County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,581 | $51,855 | 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 Abbeville County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Abbeville County. South Carolina has 22 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Anderson County, Greenwood County, Laurens County, McCormick County.
Abbeville County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Abbeville County, Anderson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County | 24,836 | ▲ 0.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Anderson County | 219,930 | ▲ 9.3% | 2,133 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Elbert County GA | 20,072 | ▲ 3.6% | 668 MW | — | — | — |
| Greenville County | 583,125 | ▲ 8.2% | 13 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Greenwood County | 70,379 | ▼ 3.2% | 8 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Laurens County | 71,848 | ▼ 4.6% | 47 MW | 45 MW | — | 1 |
| McCormick County | 10,215 | ▲ 18.2% | 362 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of South Carolina
Abbeville County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Abbeville County, South Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Abbeville County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Laurens Electric Coop, Inc, City of Abbeville - (SC), City of Due West - (SC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Abbeville County?
1 operating plant with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Honea Path (3 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Abbeville County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Abbeville County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Greenville County.
Is Abbeville County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,581 jobs in 2025 against 5,536 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Abbeville County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Abbeville County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.