Charles City County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Charles City
Charles City County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 482, up 12.9% since 2019, and construction is 4.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Charles City County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Charles City, are unincorporated and governed by the county. Employers here counted 2,065 jobs in 2025, up 24.1% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 133 Virginia counties). 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Roxbury Technology Park. 295 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Charles City County
Charles City County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Charles City, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Charles City.
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 Charles City County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,747 | 6,623 | ▼ 1.8% | 125th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,664 | 2,065 | ▲ 24.1% | 6th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,913 | $59,302 | ▲ 26.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 427 | 482 | ▲ 12.9% | 38th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 295 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 309 MW of capacity, 95% of it solar. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Charles City County. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 6,623 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Charles City County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +295 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Charles City 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 295 MW | 95% |
| Other technologies | 14 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skipjack Solar Center | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 175 MW | 2022 |
| Keydet Solar Center | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 120 MW | 2026 |
| Charles City | Industrial Power Generating Company LLC | Other technologies | 14 MW | 2003 |
The Charles City County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,065 | $59,302 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 482 | $71,545 | 4.41 |
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 Charles City County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roxbury Technology Park | cancelled | — |
Charles City County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Charles City County, Chesterfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles City County | 6,623 | ▲ 24.1% | 309 MW | — | — | — |
| Chesterfield County | 397,148 | ▲ 8.4% | 504 MW | 1,163 MW | 6 | — |
| Henrico County | 342,775 | ▲ 0.4% | 398 MW | 20 MW | 29 | — |
| James City County | 83,326 | ▲ 0.3% | 40 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| New Kent County | 28,022 | ▲ 30.0% | 20 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Prince George County | 43,936 | ▲ 3.6% | 587 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Surry County | 6,603 | ▲ 2.3% | 2,493 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Virginia
Charles City County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Charles City County, Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Charles City County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Charles City County?
3 operating plants with 309 MW of capacity. The largest is Skipjack Solar Center (175 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Charles City County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Charles City County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Henrico County.
Is Charles City County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,065 jobs in 2025 against 1,664 in 2019 (+24.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 427 to 482.
Does Charles City County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Charles City County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.