Data centers in Beaufort County, North Carolina
The public record for Beaufort County: 1 local government action on data centers, 0 announced projects, the county's zoning, its electric providers, and the offices that hold the land records.
Beaufort County at a glance
- County seat
- Washington
- Population, 2024 estimate
- 44,576
- Land area, square miles
- 832.7
- Development tier, 2026
- Tier 2
- Last reappraisal
- 2025
- Next reappraisal
- 2031
- Regional council
- Mid-East Commission
Local government actions
| Jurisdiction | Date | Status | What happened | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County | 2026-09 | proposed | Beaufort County proposed a one-year moratorium on data center development applications. The county postponed the formal public hearing and vote to October 5, 2026. | [1] |
Announced projects
We have no announced data-center project on record for this county.
Zoning and land-use rules in Beaufort County
Beaufort County zones part of its unincorporated land. The rest has no county zoning district. County zoning covers planned unit development districts and other properties added at a landowner's request.
Zoning Ordinance for the County of Beaufort, North CarolinaSource
How the county ordinance treats a data center
Our search of the county ordinance text found no data-center use by name. A planner decides which listed use applies to a project. The full Chapter 154 text contains none of the six requested data center, data processing, data storage, server farm, cryptocurrency, or crypto terms.
A use that the ordinance does not name is classified by the planning staff, and the permit path follows from that decision. Special use permits, conditional zoning, and rezoning
Municipalities in Beaufort County
7 incorporated municipalities lie wholly or partly in Beaufort County. A municipality regulates land inside its limits, and some also regulate a band outside them. Who regulates a property in North Carolina
- Aurora
- Bath
- Belhaven
- Chocowinity
- Pantego
- Washington
- Washington Park
Electric providers in Beaufort County
North Carolina assigns electric service by territory, so the provider for a parcel depends on where the parcel sits. These providers have territory or customers in Beaufort County.
| Provider | Type | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgecombe-Martin County EMC | cooperative | [1] | |
| Tideland EMC | cooperative | [1] | |
| Dominion Energy North Carolina | investor-owned | [1] | |
| Duke Energy Progress | investor-owned | [1] | |
| Belhaven | municipal | [1] | |
| Washington | municipal | [1] |
A provider's presence does not show that it can serve a large load at a given point. Only the utility can state that.
Where the land records are in Beaufort County
County offices hold the records that show who owns a parcel, what is recorded against it, and how it is taxed.
- Beaufort County Register of DeedsDeeds, plats, easements, and deeds of trust.
- Beaufort County recorded documents searchRecorded documents, searched by name or by book and page.
- Beaufort County Tax AssessorAssessed value, tax bills, and present-use status.
- Beaufort County Planning DepartmentZoning maps, the ordinance, and permit history.
- How to find the owner of a property
- How to read a plat map
- What a title search for land covers
- Why county records come first
Reappraisal and development tier
Beaufort County last reappraised real property effective 2025. The next reappraisal is scheduled for 2031.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce ranks Beaufort County as Tier 2 for 2026. Tier 1 marks the most economically distressed counties and Tier 3 the least. The tier sets eligibility for several state incentive programs.
How to read this
County and town are different governments. A county can have no pause while a town inside it has one, and the reverse. Before you rely on any row, confirm which government regulates the parcel, then read the ordinance in the linked source for its scope and end date.
- How to read a data-center moratorium
- Zoning and moratorium research
- All North Carolina actions
- All North Carolina projects
Questions
Does Beaufort County have a data center moratorium?
We found no adopted pause on record in Beaufort County. The record does show: Beaufort County (2026-09). See the linked sources for the current status.
What data centers are planned in Beaufort County?
We have no announced data-center project on record for Beaufort County as of 2026.09.30.
Does Beaufort County have zoning?
Beaufort County zones part of its unincorporated land. The rest has no county zoning district. County zoning covers planned unit development districts and other properties added at a landowner's request.
Who provides electricity in Beaufort County?
Providers with territory or customers in Beaufort County: Edgecombe-Martin County EMC; Tideland EMC; Dominion Energy North Carolina; Duke Energy Progress; Belhaven; Washington. The provider for a parcel depends on where the parcel sits.
Neighboring counties
Sources for this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Population Totals, Vintage 2024
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files, Counties
- 2026 North Carolina Development Tier Designations, N.C. Department of Commerce, November 26, 2025
- 2026-2027 Property Tax Rates And Reappraisal Schedules For North Carolina Counties, N.C. Department of Revenue
- Regional Councils, North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Governments
- Zoning Ordinance for the County of Beaufort, North Carolina
- Beaufort County ordinance use search
- Beaufort County Planning Department
- Beaufort County Register of Deeds
- Beaufort County recorded documents search
- Beaufort County Tax Assessor
- Our Members | North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives
- Dominion Energy Pilot Grant Program for Northeastern NC Volunteer Fire Departments
- Company-reported county service territories, Form EIA-861 2024 final data (Service_Territory_2024.xlsx)
- www.beaufortcountync.gov
Looking at land in Beaufort County?
Send the parcel and the county. We confirm which government regulates it and read the record for power, local rules, and usable ground.