Lancaster County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lancaster, Kershaw and Van Wyck
The build-out shows up in Lancaster County as work for the electrical trades. Electrical contractors employ 193, up 105.3% since 2019 against up 10.4% statewide, at an average $69,792 a year. Lancaster County is home to Lancaster, Kershaw, Van Wyck and Heath Springs. Next door, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, has 26 data centers. Employers here counted 29,090 jobs in 2025, up 12.0% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 46 South Carolina counties). Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Lancaster County
Lancaster County is home to Lancaster, Kershaw, Van Wyck and Heath Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Buford, Elgin, Irwin, Springdale, Tradesville, Unity.
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 Lancaster County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 96,589 | 114,296 | ▲ 18.3% | 15th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25,976 | 29,090 | ▲ 12.0% | 6th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,556 | $67,083 | ▲ 35.4% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 94 | 193 | ▲ 105.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
114,296 people live here, up 18.3% since 2020. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 48 MW of capacity, 94% of it hydro. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Lancaster County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.99¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.59¢ median for South Carolina utilities.
Who powers Lancaster County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lancaster 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% |
| Lynches River Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,363 | 15.71¢ | 12% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 45 MW | 94% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Creek (SC) | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 45 MW | 1926 |
| Crown | Crown Solar Center, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |
The Lancaster County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 29,090 | $67,083 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 193 | $69,792 | 0.92 |
| Data processing and hosting | 60 | $79,484 | 0.66 |
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 Lancaster County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lancaster County. South Carolina has 22 local measures on record statewide, and 5 neighboring counties have one: Chester County, Chesterfield County, Fairfield County, Kershaw County.
Lancaster County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Lancaster County, Mecklenburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County | 114,296 | ▲ 12.0% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Chester County | 33,001 | ▲ 7.7% | 99 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Chesterfield County | 44,740 | ▼ 9.7% | 77 MW | 151 MW | — | 1 |
| Fairfield County | 20,340 | ▲ 17.5% | 1,763 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Kershaw County | 73,166 | ▲ 5.0% | 110 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Mecklenburg County NC | 1,233,383 | ▲ 10.7% | 2,456 MW | 2 MW | 26 | — |
| Union County NC | 267,674 | ▲ 20.0% | 107 MW | 12 MW | 1 | — |
| York County | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
More of South Carolina
Lancaster County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lancaster County, South Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Lancaster County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, York Electric Coop Inc, Lynches River Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lancaster County?
2 operating plants with 48 MW of capacity. The largest is Cedar Creek (SC) (45 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Lancaster County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lancaster County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mecklenburg County.
Is Lancaster County adding jobs?
Employers counted 29,090 jobs in 2025 against 25,976 in 2019 (+12.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lancaster County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lancaster County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.