Data centers in Dare County, North Carolina

Zoning and land-use rules in Dare County

We could not confirm the extent of county zoning in Dare County from the public record. The planning office can state it. County zoning applies in mapped zoning areas within unincorporated Dare County.

Dare County Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A)

How the county ordinance treats a data center

We could not search the full county ordinance text for a data-center use. The planning office can state how the county classifies one.

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 Dare County

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

• Duck
• Kill Devil Hills
• Kitty Hawk
• Manteo
• Nags Head
• Southern Shores

Where the land records are in Dare County

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

• Dare County GIS parcel viewerParcel boundaries, parcel numbers, the owner of record, and mapped acreage.

• 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

Dare County last reappraised real property effective 2025. The next reappraisal is scheduled for 2030.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce ranks Dare 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 Dare County have a data center moratorium?

We found no recorded moratorium action on data centers in Dare County as of 2026.09.30. That is not a clearance, because a town inside the county can act separately.

What data centers are planned in Dare County?

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

Does Dare County have zoning?

We could not confirm the extent of county zoning in Dare County from the public record. The planning office can state it. County zoning applies in mapped zoning areas within unincorporated Dare County.

Who provides electricity in Dare County?

Providers with territory or customers in Dare County: Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative; Tideland EMC; Dominion Energy North Carolina. The provider for a parcel depends on where the parcel sits.

Neighboring counties

• Currituck County
• Hyde County
• Tyrrell County

Sources for this page

1. U.S. Census Bureau, County Population Totals, Vintage 2024
2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files, Counties
3. NCpedia county entries, State Library of North Carolina
4. 2026 North Carolina Development Tier Designations, N.C. Department of Commerce, November 26, 2025
5. 2026-2027 Property Tax Rates And Reappraisal Schedules For North Carolina Counties, N.C. Department of Revenue
6. Regional Councils, North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Governments
7. Dare County Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A)
8. Dare County GIS parcel viewer
9. Our Members | North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives
10. Dominion Energy Pilot Grant Program for Northeastern NC Volunteer Fire Departments