Carroll County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hillsville
Carroll County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Carroll County is home to Hillsville. Next door, Patrick County has 1 data center. Construction employs 215, down 12.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 5,796 jobs in 2025, down 6.7% from 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Carroll County
Carroll County is home to Hillsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cana, Fancy Gap, Hilltown, Woodlawn.
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 Carroll County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,146 | 29,299 | ▲ 0.5% | 61st of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,214 | 5,796 | ▼ 6.7% | 112th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,050 | $42,732 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 246 | 215 | ▼ 12.6% | 76th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 50 MW of capacity, 60% of it hydro. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Carroll County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 29,299 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Carroll County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carroll County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,383,548 | 14.09¢ | 63% |
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 465,283 | 17.02¢ | 26% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 30 MW | 60% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 40% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byllesby 2 | Appalachian Power Co | Hydro | 22 MW | 1912 |
| River Trail Solar, LLC | River Trail Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2025 |
| Buck Hydro | Appalachian Power Co | Hydro | 8 MW | 1912 |
The Carroll County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,796 | $42,732 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 215 | $57,751 | 0.70 |
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 Carroll County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carroll County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Surry County.
Carroll County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Carroll County, Pulaski 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 29,299 | ▼ 6.7% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 15,789 | ▲ 8.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Galax (city) | 6,670 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Grayson County | 15,230 | ▲ 1.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Patrick County | 17,424 | ▼ 8.7% | 12 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Pulaski County | 33,586 | ▼ 6.3% | 81 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Surry County NC | 72,287 | ▼ 0.8% | 92 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wythe County | 27,983 | ▲ 2.6% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Carroll County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carroll County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Carroll County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Appalachian Power Co. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Carroll County?
3 operating plants with 50 MW of capacity. The largest is Byllesby 2 (22 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Carroll County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carroll County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Patrick County.
Is Carroll County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,796 jobs in 2025 against 6,214 in 2019 (-6.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 246 to 215.
Does Carroll County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carroll County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.