Cherokee County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gaffney and Blacksburg
Cherokee County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cherokee County. Cherokee County is home to Gaffney and Blacksburg. Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 18,221 jobs in 2025, down 13.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 1,928 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas, the 5th largest fleet in South Carolina.
Cities and towns in Cherokee County
Cherokee County is home to Gaffney and Blacksburg.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cherokee Falls, East Gaffney.
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 Cherokee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 56,225 | 58,275 | ▲ 3.6% | 24th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,104 | 18,221 | ▼ 13.7% | 44th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,085 | $50,376 | ▲ 39.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,033 | 900 | ▼ 12.9% | 22nd of 25 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 84 | 78 | ▼ 7.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 5.4% | ▲ 2.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Construction employs 900, down 12.9% since 2019. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Gaston Shoals (hydro, 1 MW, 2025). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Cherokee 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. 58,275 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Cherokee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cherokee 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% |
| York Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 65,244 | 12.65¢ | 22% |
| Broad River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,140 | 15.91¢ | 11% |
| City of Gaffney - (SC) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,314 | 12.39¢ | 43% |
| Lockhart Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,976 | 13.42¢ | 75% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,902 MW | 99% |
| Hydro | 22 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broad River Energy Center | Broad River Energy LLC | Natural gas | 985 MW | 2000 |
| Mill Creek (SC) | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Natural gas | 799 MW | 2002 |
| Cherokee County Cogen | Cherokee County Cogen Partners LLC | Natural gas | 118 MW | 1998 |
| 99 Islands | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 12 MW | 1910 |
| Gaston Shoals | Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, LLC | Hydro | 5 MW | 1908 |
| Mohea Solar Energy Center, LLC | SunStrong Management | Solar | 5 MW | 2020 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston Shoals | Hydro | 1 MW | 2025 |
The Cherokee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,221 | $50,376 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 900 | $77,876 | 0.93 |
| Electric utilities | 78 | $109,220 | 1.58 |
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 Cherokee County
1 data center in Cherokee County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cherokee County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cherokee County, York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County | 58,275 | ▼ 13.7% | 1,928 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Cleveland County NC | 103,325 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,982 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Rutherford County NC | 65,745 | ▼ 3.1% | 127 MW | 60 MW | 3 | — |
| Spartanburg County | 380,857 | ▲ 6.7% | 63 MW | — | 3 | 3 |
| Union County | 26,799 | ▼ 12.4% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| York County | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
More of South Carolina
Cherokee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cherokee County, South Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Cherokee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, York Electric Coop Inc, Broad River Electric Coop, Inc, City of Gaffney - (SC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Gaffney, SC in?
Gaffney is in Cherokee County, South Carolina. About 12,583 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cherokee County?
7 operating plants with 1,928 MW of capacity. The largest is Broad River Energy Center (985 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cherokee County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cherokee County.
Is Cherokee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,221 jobs in 2025 against 21,104 in 2019 (-13.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,033 to 900.
Does Cherokee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cherokee County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.