North Carolina counties

Data centers in Carteret County, North Carolina

The public record for Carteret 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.

Last updated 2026.09.30

Carteret County at a glance

County seat: Beaufort
Population, 2024 estimate: 70,259
Land area, square miles: 507.6
Development tier, 2026: Tier 3
Last reappraisal: 2025
Next reappraisal: 2029
Regional council: Eastern Carolina Council of Governments

Local government actions

Jurisdiction	Date	Status	What happened	Sources
Newport	2026-09	adopted	The town adopted a moratorium lasting at least one year on new data centers, data processing facilities, and cryptocurrency mining operations. It applies within town limits and the extraterritorial jurisdiction.	[1][2]

Announced projects

We have no announced data-center project on record for this county.

Zoning and land-use rules in Carteret County

Carteret County zones part of its unincorporated land. The rest has no county zoning district. County zoning excludes areas regulated by the Down East Conservation Ordinance and other local governments.

Carteret County Zoning Ordinance Source

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 zoning ordinance was searched for all six requested use terms, and none names a use.

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 Carteret County

11 incorporated municipalities lie wholly or partly in Carteret County. A municipality regulates land inside its limits, and some also regulate a band outside them. Who regulates a property in North Carolina

Atlantic Beach
Beaufort
Bogue
Cape Carteret
Cedar Point
Emerald Isle
Indian Beach
Morehead City
Newport
Peletier
Pine Knoll Shores

Electric providers in Carteret 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 Carteret County.

Provider	Type	Area	Source
Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative	cooperative		[1]
Duke Energy Progress	investor-owned		[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 Carteret County

County offices hold the records that show who owns a parcel, what is recorded against it, and how it is taxed.

Carteret County GIS parcel viewerParcel boundaries, parcel numbers, the owner of record, and mapped acreage.
Carteret County Register of DeedsDeeds, plats, easements, and deeds of trust.
Carteret County Register of Deeds Online DatabaseRecorded documents, searched by name or by book and page.
Carteret County Tax OfficeAssessed value, tax bills, and present-use status.
Carteret County Planning & DevelopmentZoning maps, the ordinance, and permit history.

Reappraisal and development tier

Carteret County last reappraised real property effective 2025. The next reappraisal is scheduled for 2029.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce ranks Carteret County as Tier 3 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.

Questions

Does Carteret County have a data center moratorium?

The public record shows adopted local action in Carteret County: Newport (2026-09). Read the linked ordinance for its scope and end date, because boards extend and amend these.

What data centers are planned in Carteret County?

We have no announced data-center project on record for Carteret County as of 2026.09.30.

Does Carteret County have zoning?

Carteret County zones part of its unincorporated land. The rest has no county zoning district. County zoning excludes areas regulated by the Down East Conservation Ordinance and other local governments.

Who provides electricity in Carteret County?

Providers with territory or customers in Carteret County: Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative; Duke Energy Progress. The provider for a parcel depends on where the parcel sits.

Where do I find parcel records for Carteret County?

The Carteret County GIS parcel viewer shows parcel boundaries and the owner of record. The Carteret County Register of Deeds holds deeds, plats, and easements.

Neighboring counties

Sources for this page

Looking at land in Carteret County?

Send the parcel and the county. We confirm which government regulates it and read the record for power, local rules, and usable ground.