Florence County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Florence, Lake City and Timmonsville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Florence County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Florence County is home to Florence, Lake City, Timmonsville and Johnsonville. Next door, Darlington County has 425 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including Florence Mill (other technologies, 12 MW, 2025). 16 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Florence County
Florence County is home to Florence, Lake City, Timmonsville and Johnsonville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Danwood.
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 Florence County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 136,826 | 138,504 | ▲ 1.2% | 14th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 66,089 | 69,704 | ▲ 5.5% | 19th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,971 | $55,863 | ▲ 36.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 16 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — |
Employers here counted 69,704 jobs in 2025, up 5.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 116 MW of capacity, 79% of it other technologies. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Florence County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.88¢/kWh in 2024. 138,504 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Florence County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Florence County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 143,713 | 14.88¢ | 28% |
| Santee Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,235 | 14.74¢ | 12% |
| MPD Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,874 | 10.94¢ | 27% |
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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 92 MW | 79% |
| Solar | 25 MW | 21% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Mill | WestRock-Florence | Other technologies | 92 MW | 1974 |
| Rankin Solar Center, LLC | SunStrong Management | Solar | 10 MW | 2019 |
| Bani Solar | Bani Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
| Blacktip Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
| Goldenrod Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Sapphire Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Mill | Other technologies | 12 MW | 2025 |
The Florence County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 69,704 | $55,863 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 139 | $131,330 | 0.74 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6 | $112,271 | 0.03 |
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 Florence County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Florence County. South Carolina has 22 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Clarendon County.
Florence County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Florence County, Darlington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence County | 138,504 | ▲ 5.5% | 116 MW | — | — | — |
| Clarendon County | 31,043 | ▼ 3.6% | 8 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Darlington County | 62,888 | ▼ 3.9% | 1,162 MW | 425 MW | — | — |
| Dillon County | 27,458 | ▲ 2.8% | 15 MW | 81 MW | — | — |
| Lee County | 15,730 | ▼ 2.5% | 50 MW | 60 MW | — | — |
| Marion County | 28,242 | ▼ 1.7% | 25 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Marlboro County | 25,488 | ▼ 20.5% | 63 MW | — | — | — |
| Sumter County | 105,067 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Williamsburg County | 29,662 | ▼ 28.5% | 20 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Florence County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Florence County, South Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Florence County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Santee Electric Coop, Inc, MPD Electric Cooperative. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 14.88¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Florence, SC in?
Florence is in Florence County, South Carolina. About 41,231 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Florence County?
10 operating plants with 116 MW of capacity. The largest is Florence Mill (92 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Florence County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Florence County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Darlington County.
Is Florence County adding jobs?
Employers counted 69,704 jobs in 2025 against 66,089 in 2019 (+5.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Florence County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Florence County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.