Dorchester County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Summerville, North Charleston and St. George
Dorchester County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Dorchester County, 9% of South Carolina's total. Dorchester County is home to most of Summerville (44,724 of its 53,177 residents), part of North Charleston (32,134 of its 129,245 residents), St. George and Ridgeville. Employers here counted 41,814 jobs in 2025, up 15.0% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 46 South Carolina counties). Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Construction employs 2,439, up 5.2% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Dorchester County
Dorchester County is home to most of Summerville (44,724 of its 53,177 residents), part of North Charleston (32,134 of its 129,245 residents), St. George and Ridgeville.
- Summerville also extends into Berkeley County, Charleston County.
- North Charleston also extends into Charleston County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Grover.
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 Dorchester County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 162,056 | 178,397 | ▲ 10.1% | 12th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 36,369 | 41,814 | ▲ 15.0% | 4th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,442 | $55,618 | ▲ 41.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,319 | 2,439 | ▲ 5.2% | 17th of 25 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 158 | 213 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 22 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. 178,397 people live here, up 10.1% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 314, at an average $69,030 a year. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc is the largest utility serving Dorchester County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Dorchester County
Utilities with service territory in Dorchester 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% |
| Edisto Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,421 | 16.40¢ | 15% |
| Coastal Electric Coop, Inc - (SC) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 22 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester Biomass | Dorchester Biomass LLC | Other technologies | 22 MW | 2013 |
The Dorchester County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 41,814 | $55,618 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,439 | $69,770 | 1.10 |
| Electrical contractors | 314 | $69,030 | 1.04 |
| Power and communication line construction | 213 | $54,548 | 3.15 |
| Electric utilities | 52 | $122,698 | 0.46 |
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 Dorchester County
3 data centers in Dorchester County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Dorchester County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Dorchester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County | 178,397 | ▲ 15.0% | 22 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Berkeley County | 274,666 | ▲ 27.0% | 3,417 MW | 300 MW | 5 | — |
| Charleston County | 436,200 | ▲ 9.3% | 177 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Colleton County | 39,382 | ▼ 5.7% | 2 MW | 75 MW | — | 3 |
| Orangeburg County | 83,177 | ▼ 6.0% | 716 MW | 174 MW | — | 1 |
More of South Carolina
Dorchester County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dorchester County, South Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Dorchester County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Berkeley Electric Coop Inc, Edisto Electric Coop, Inc, Coastal Electric Coop, Inc - (SC). The largest, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Summerville, SC in?
Most of Summerville is in Dorchester County: 44,724 of its 53,177 residents, or 84%. The rest of the city lies in Berkeley County, Charleston County.
Is North Charleston in Dorchester County?
Partly. 32,134 of North Charleston's 129,245 residents (25%) live in Dorchester County; most of the city is in Charleston County.
What power plants are in Dorchester County?
1 operating plant with 22 MW of capacity. The largest is Dorchester Biomass (22 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Dorchester County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Dorchester County.
Is Dorchester County adding jobs?
Employers counted 41,814 jobs in 2025 against 36,369 in 2019 (+15.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,319 to 2,439.
Does Dorchester County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dorchester County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.