York County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Tega Cay
York County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in York County, 14% of South Carolina's total. York County is home to Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay and York. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Nine-month data center moratorium”. Its power plants have 2,476 MW of capacity, 97% of it nuclear, the 3rd largest fleet in South Carolina. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in York County
York County is home to Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay and York.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baxter Village, Catawba, India Hook, Lake Wylie, Lesslie, Newport, Riverview.
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 York County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 283,833 | 306,887 | ▲ 8.1% | 7th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 100,346 | 106,236 | ▲ 5.9% | 18th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,688 | $63,002 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,662 | 4,676 | ▲ 0.3% | 20th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 614 | 540 | ▼ 12.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 979 | 1,031 | ▲ 5.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 683 | 536 | ▼ 21.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 106,236 jobs in 2025, up 5.9% from 2019. Construction employs 4,676, up 0.3% since 2019. 306,887 people live here, up 8.1% since 2020, 7th of 46 South Carolina counties by population. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving York County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.99¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.59¢ median for South Carolina utilities. Electrical contractors employ 540, down 12.1% since 2019 against up 10.4% statewide, at an average $79,225 a year.
Who powers York County
Utilities with service territory in York 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% |
| City of Rock Hill - (SC) | Municipal | Bundled | 36,492 | 12.55¢ | 47% |
| Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,397 | 14.35¢ | 13% |
| Broad River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,140 | 15.91¢ | 11% |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,410 MW | 97% |
| Hydro | 60 MW | 2% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Nuclear | 2,410 MW | 1985 |
| Wylie | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 60 MW | 1925 |
| Sediver | Central Electric Power | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2003 |
| Thermal Kem | Central Electric Power | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2003 |
The York County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 106,236 | $63,002 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,676 | $77,447 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 540 | $79,225 | 0.70 |
| Electric utilities | 1,031 | $134,049 | 3.59 |
| Data processing and hosting | 536 | $137,207 | 1.62 |
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 York County
5 data centers in York County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nine-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-07 |
York County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
| Cherokee County | 58,275 | ▼ 13.7% | 1,928 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Chester County | 33,001 | ▲ 7.7% | 99 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cleveland County NC | 103,325 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,982 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gaston County NC | 246,558 | ▲ 8.9% | 195 MW | 240 MW | — | — |
| Lancaster County | 114,296 | ▲ 12.0% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Mecklenburg County NC | 1,233,383 | ▲ 10.7% | 2,456 MW | 2 MW | 26 | — |
| Union County | 26,799 | ▼ 12.4% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Carolina
York County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in York County, South Carolina?
6 utilities have service territory in York County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, York Electric Coop Inc, City of Rock Hill - (SC), Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Rock Hill, SC in?
Rock Hill is in York County, South Carolina. About 75,911 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fort Mill, SC in?
Fort Mill is in York County, South Carolina. About 38,673 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Tega Cay, SC in?
Tega Cay is in York County, South Carolina. About 14,457 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in York County?
4 operating plants with 2,476 MW of capacity. The largest is Catawba (2,410 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in York County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in York County.
Is York County adding jobs?
Employers counted 106,236 jobs in 2025 against 100,346 in 2019 (+5.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,662 to 4,676.
Does York County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for York County, 1 in force.