Charleston County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Charleston, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant
Charleston County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Charleston County. Charleston County is home to most of Charleston (142,732 of its 159,423 residents), most of North Charleston (97,111 of its 129,245 residents), Mount Pleasant and James Island. Construction employs 16,662, up 20.9% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 283,985 jobs in 2025, up 9.3% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 46 South Carolina counties).
Cities and towns in Charleston County
Charleston County is home to most of Charleston (142,732 of its 159,423 residents), most of North Charleston (97,111 of its 129,245 residents), Mount Pleasant and James Island.
- Charleston also extends into Berkeley County.
- North Charleston also extends into Dorchester County.
- Summerville also extends into Dorchester County, Berkeley County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Adams Run, Ladson.
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 Charleston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 409,934 | 436,200 | ▲ 6.4% | 2nd of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 259,723 | 283,985 | ▲ 9.3% | 10th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,016 | $72,198 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,778 | 16,662 | ▲ 20.9% | 10th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,009 | 1,791 | ▼ 10.9% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 672 | 588 | ▼ 12.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 661 | 613 | ▼ 7.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 3.5% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 99 MW | — |
99 MW has retired here since 2019, including Kapstone (other technologies, 99 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 177 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc is the largest utility serving Charleston County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024. 436,200 people live here, up 6.4% since 2020, 2nd of 46 South Carolina counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 1,791, down 10.9% since 2019 against up 10.4% statewide, at an average $79,866 a year.
Who powers Charleston County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −99 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Charleston 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% |
| Berkeley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 115,117 | 14.93¢ | 68% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 177 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hagood | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Natural gas | 177 MW | 1991 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kapstone | Other technologies | 99 MW | 2023 |
The Charleston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 283,985 | $72,198 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,662 | $89,134 | 1.11 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,791 | $79,866 | 0.87 |
| Electric utilities | 588 | $113,831 | 0.76 |
| Data processing and hosting | 613 | $189,753 | 0.69 |
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 Charleston County
1 data center in Charleston County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Charleston County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Charleston County, Berkeley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County | 436,200 | ▲ 9.3% | 177 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Berkeley County | 274,666 | ▲ 27.0% | 3,417 MW | 300 MW | 5 | — |
| Colleton County | 39,382 | ▼ 5.7% | 2 MW | 75 MW | — | 3 |
| Dorchester County | 178,397 | ▲ 15.0% | 22 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Georgetown County | 65,912 | ▲ 2.5% | 1,573 MW | 413 MW | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Charleston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Charleston County, South Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Charleston County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Berkeley Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Charleston, SC in?
Most of Charleston is in Charleston County: 142,732 of its 159,423 residents, or 90%. The rest of the city lies in Berkeley County.
What county is North Charleston, SC in?
Most of North Charleston is in Charleston County: 97,111 of its 129,245 residents, or 75%. The rest of the city lies in Dorchester County.
What county is Mount Pleasant, SC in?
Mount Pleasant is in Charleston County, South Carolina. About 95,469 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Charleston County?
1 operating plant with 177 MW of capacity. The largest is Hagood (177 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Charleston County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Charleston County.
Is Charleston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 283,985 jobs in 2025 against 259,723 in 2019 (+9.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 13,778 to 16,662.
Does Charleston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Charleston County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.