Marion County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Marion and Mullins
Marion County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Marion County is home to Marion and Mullins. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Stream Data Centers Marion County (abandoned) (400 MW). 10 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by SolRiver Capital LLC (solar). Unemployment was 6.5% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. 25 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Marion County
Marion County is home to Marion and Mullins.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Centenary, Daviston, Rains, Zion.
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 Marion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,088 | 28,242 | ▼ 2.9% | 33rd of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,968 | 6,847 | ▼ 1.7% | 28th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,634 | $47,857 | ▲ 42.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 6.5% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 25 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 10 MW | 39% of today's fleet | 15th of 16 by size |
Its power plants have 25 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 6,847 jobs in 2025, down 1.7% from 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Marion County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.88¢/kWh in 2024. 28,242 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Marion County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +25 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Marion 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% |
| 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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 25 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebbie Solar, LLC | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2025 |
| Cardinal Solar LLC | Cardinal Solar LLC | Solar | 7 MW | 2020 |
| Pruger Solar II | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2026 |
| Washington Solar (SC) | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Washington Solar II (SC) | Washington Solar II (SC) | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Jessamine Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhubarb One SC | Solar Photovoltaic | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | SolRiver Capital LLC |
The Marion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,847 | $47,857 | 1.00 |
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 Marion County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stream Data Centers Marion County (abandoned) | abandoned | 400 MW |
Marion County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Marion County, Georgetown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 28,242 | ▼ 1.7% | 25 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Dillon County | 27,458 | ▲ 2.8% | 15 MW | 81 MW | — | — |
| Florence County | 138,504 | ▲ 5.5% | 116 MW | — | — | — |
| Georgetown County | 65,912 | ▲ 2.5% | 1,573 MW | 413 MW | — | — |
| Horry County | 427,551 | ▲ 9.2% | 174 MW | 74 MW | 3 | — |
| Williamsburg County | 29,662 | ▼ 28.5% | 20 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Marion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marion County, South Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Marion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), MPD Electric Cooperative. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 14.88¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Marion County?
6 operating plants with 25 MW of capacity. The largest is Ebbie Solar, LLC (10 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Marion County?
10 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SolRiver Capital LLC.
Are there data centers in Marion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marion County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Georgetown County.
Is Marion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,847 jobs in 2025 against 6,968 in 2019 (-1.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Marion County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Marion County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.