Chester County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chester, Great Falls and Fort Lawn
Chester County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 771, up 77.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 93, up 86.0% since 2019 against up 10.4% statewide, at an average $58,146 a year. Chester County is home to Chester, Great Falls and Fort Lawn. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Six-month data center moratorium”. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Chester County
Chester County is home to Chester, Great Falls and Fort Lawn.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eureka Mill, Gayle Mill.
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 Chester County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 32,287 | 33,001 | ▲ 2.2% | 29th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,822 | 10,583 | ▲ 7.7% | 15th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,114 | $61,267 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 435 | 771 | ▲ 77.2% | 2nd of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50 | 93 | ▲ 86.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.3% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 10,583 jobs in 2025, up 7.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 99 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Chester County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.99¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.59¢ median for South Carolina utilities. 33,001 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Chester County
Utilities with service territory in Chester 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% |
| Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,397 | 14.35¢ | 13% |
| 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 99 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dearborn | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 45 MW | 1923 |
| Fishing Creek | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 42 MW | 1916 |
| Great Falls (SC) | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 12 MW | 1907 |
The Chester County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,583 | $61,267 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 771 | $77,840 | 1.38 |
| Electrical contractors | 93 | $58,146 | 1.22 |
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 Chester County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-07 |
Chester County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Chester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County | 33,001 | ▲ 7.7% | 99 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Fairfield County | 20,340 | ▲ 17.5% | 1,763 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Lancaster County | 114,296 | ▲ 12.0% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 26,799 | ▼ 12.4% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| York County | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
More of South Carolina
Chester County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chester County, South Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Chester County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, York Electric Coop Inc, Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc, Lockhart Power Co. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chester County?
3 operating plants with 99 MW of capacity. The largest is Dearborn (45 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Chester County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chester County. The nearest activity on record is next door in York County.
Is Chester County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,583 jobs in 2025 against 9,822 in 2019 (+7.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 435 to 771.
Does Chester County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Chester County, 1 in force.