# Data Centers in Dare County, NC: Rules, Power, Records | FOUND Dare County, North Carolina for data-center and land buyers: local actions, announced projects, county zoning, electric providers, and the land records offices. Canonical: https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/dare-county/ Last updated 2026.09.30 ## Dare County at a glance - County seat: Manteo - Population, 2024 estimate: 38183 - Land area, square miles: 383.2 - Development tier, 2026: Tier 2 - Last reappraisal: 2025 - Next reappraisal: 2030 - Regional council: Albemarle Commission ## Local government actions We found no recorded moratorium or ordinance action on data centers in this county. A town inside the county can act separately, and an empty search is not a clearance. ## Announced projects We have no announced data-center project on record for this county. ## 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. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/darecounty/latest/dareco_nc/0-0-0-29751 ### 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. ### Municipalities in Dare County Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Manteo, Nags Head, Southern Shores ## Electric providers in Dare 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 Dare County. - Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (cooperative) https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members - Tideland EMC (cooperative) https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members - Dominion Energy North Carolina (investor-owned) https://ncsfa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dominion-Energy-Grant-Package-fillable-form.pdf 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 Dare County - [Dare County GIS parcel viewer](https://maps.darecountync.gov/): Parcel boundaries, parcel numbers, the owner of record, and mapped acreage. ## 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. ### 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](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/currituck-county/index.md) - [Hyde County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/hyde-county/index.md) - [Tyrrell County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/tyrrell-county/index.md) ## Sources for this page - [U.S. Census Bureau, County Population Totals, Vintage 2024](https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html) - [U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files, Counties](https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html) - [NCpedia county entries, State Library of North Carolina](https://www.ncpedia.org/geography/counties) - [2026 North Carolina Development Tier Designations, N.C. Department of Commerce, November 26, 2025](https://www.commerce.nc.gov/report-county-tiers-ranking-memo-current-year/open) - [2026-2027 Property Tax Rates And Reappraisal Schedules For North Carolina Counties, N.C. Department of Revenue](https://www.ncdor.gov/2026-2027countytaxratesfinalxlsx/open) - [Regional Councils, North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Governments](https://ncarcog.org/regional-councils/) - [Dare County Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A)](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/darecounty/latest/dareco_nc/0-0-0-29751) - [Dare County GIS parcel viewer](https://maps.darecountync.gov/) - [Our Members | North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives](https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members) - [Dominion Energy Pilot Grant Program for Northeastern NC Volunteer Fire Departments](https://ncsfa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dominion-Energy-Grant-Package-fillable-form.pdf) Transactions are handled through a licensed North Carolina real estate brokerage.