Beaufort County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Port Royal
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Beaufort County. Beaufort County is home to Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Port Royal and Beaufort. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed nine-month moratorium or ban on data centers”. Construction employs 4,958, up 26.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Owners plan to retire 118 MW more by 2035, led by Hilton Head in 2033.
Cities and towns in Beaufort County
Beaufort County is home to Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Port Royal and Beaufort.
- Yemassee also extends into Hampton County.
- Hardeeville also extends into Jasper County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burton, Dale, Daufuskie Island, Fripp Island, Harbor Island, Laurel Bay, Lobeco, Seabrook, Sheldon, Shell Point.
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 Beaufort County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 187,814 | 204,433 | ▲ 8.8% | 10th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 68,843 | 72,257 | ▲ 5.0% | 21st of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,625 | $57,232 | ▲ 40.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,909 | 4,958 | ▲ 26.8% | 7th of 25 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40 | 47 | ▲ 17.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 102 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
102 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 72,257 jobs in 2025, up 5.0% from 2019. Its power plants have 229 MW of capacity, 53% of it petroleum. 204,433 people live here, up 8.8% since 2020, 10th of 46 South Carolina counties by population. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc is the largest utility serving Beaufort County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Beaufort County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +102 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Beaufort County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 696,385 | 14.59¢ | 36% |
| Palmetto Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 68,338 | 12.79¢ | 30% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 121 MW | 53% |
| Solar | 100 MW | 44% |
| Battery storage | 4 MW | 2% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head | South Carolina Public Service Authority | Petroleum | 118 MW | 1973 |
| Seabrook Solar | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 72 MW | 2019 |
| MCRD Parris Island PV Hybrid | Ameresco Federal Solutions | Petroleum | 17 MW | 2018 |
| Trask East Solar | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 12 MW | 2020 |
| Yemassee Solar | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 10 MW | 2020 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head | Petroleum | 118 MW | 2033 |
The Beaufort County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 72,257 | $57,232 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,958 | $74,647 | 1.30 |
| Data processing and hosting | 47 | $139,392 | 0.21 |
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 Beaufort County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed nine-month moratorium or ban on data centers | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Beaufort County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Beaufort County, Jasper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County | 204,433 | ▲ 5.0% | 229 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Colleton County | 39,382 | ▼ 5.7% | 2 MW | 75 MW | — | 3 |
| Hampton County | 18,174 | ▼ 0.3% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 38,533 | ▲ 12.6% | 1,158 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of South Carolina
Beaufort County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Beaufort County, South Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Beaufort County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Palmetto Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hilton Head Island, SC in?
Hilton Head Island is in Beaufort County, South Carolina. About 38,196 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bluffton, SC in?
Bluffton is in Beaufort County, South Carolina. About 36,807 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Port Royal, SC in?
Port Royal is in Beaufort County, South Carolina. About 16,648 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Beaufort County?
5 operating plants with 229 MW of capacity. The largest is Hilton Head (118 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Beaufort County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Beaufort County.
Is Beaufort County adding jobs?
Employers counted 72,257 jobs in 2025 against 68,843 in 2019 (+5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,909 to 4,958.
Does Beaufort County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Beaufort County, 0 in force.