# Data Centers in Lincoln County, NC: Rules, Power, Records | FOUND Lincoln 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/lincoln-county/ Last updated 2026.09.30 ## Lincoln County at a glance - County seat: Lincolnton - Population, 2024 estimate: 97611 - Land area, square miles: 295.8 - Development tier, 2026: Tier 3 - Last reappraisal: 2023 - Next reappraisal: 2027 - Regional council: Centralina Regional Council ## 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 Lincoln County Lincoln County zones the unincorporated land outside municipal planning jurisdictions. County zoning covers land outside municipal boundaries and municipal extraterritorial jurisdictions. https://lincolncountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25768/UDO-MASTER-amended-2026-05-18-Use-Table-and-ELDD-table-merge?bidId= ### How the county ordinance treats a data center The county ordinance names this use. "Data center" appears in the permitted land use table with permitted and special use designations. https://lincolncountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25768/UDO-MASTER-amended-2026-05-18-Use-Table-and-ELDD-table-merge?bidId= ### Municipalities in Lincoln County Lincolnton, Maiden ## Electric providers in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County. - EnergyUnited (cooperative) https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members - Rutherford EMC (cooperative) https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members - Duke Energy Carolinas (investor-owned) https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/zip/f8612024.zip - Lincolnton (municipal) https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/zip/f8612024.zip 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 Lincoln County - [Lincoln County GIS parcel viewer](https://arcgisserver.lincolncountync.gov/taxparcelviewer/): Parcel boundaries, parcel numbers, the owner of record, and mapped acreage. - [Lincoln County Register of Deeds](https://lincolnrod.com/): Deeds, plats, easements, and deeds of trust. - [Lincoln County online land records search](https://lincolnrod.com/disclaimer/): Recorded documents, searched by name or by book and page. - [Lincoln County Tax Department](https://www.lincolncountync.gov/73/Tax-Department): Assessed value, tax bills, and present-use status. - [Lincoln County Planning and Inspections](https://www.lincolncountync.gov/104/Planning-and-Inspections): Zoning maps, the ordinance, and permit history. ## Reappraisal and development tier Lincoln County last reappraised real property effective 2023. The next reappraisal is scheduled for 2027. The North Carolina Department of Commerce ranks Lincoln 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. ### Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium? We found no recorded moratorium action on data centers in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County? We have no announced data-center project on record for Lincoln County as of 2026.09.30. ### Does Lincoln County have zoning? Lincoln County zones the unincorporated land outside municipal planning jurisdictions. County zoning covers land outside municipal boundaries and municipal extraterritorial jurisdictions. ### Who provides electricity in Lincoln County? Providers with territory or customers in Lincoln County: EnergyUnited; Rutherford EMC; Duke Energy Carolinas; Lincolnton. The provider for a parcel depends on where the parcel sits. ### Where do I find parcel records for Lincoln County? The Lincoln County GIS parcel viewer shows parcel boundaries and the owner of record. The Lincoln County Register of Deeds holds deeds, plats, and easements. ## Neighboring counties - [Burke County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/burke-county/index.md) - [Catawba County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/catawba-county/index.md) - [Cleveland County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/cleveland-county/index.md) - [Gaston County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/gaston-county/index.md) - [Iredell County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/iredell-county/index.md) - [Mecklenburg County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/mecklenburg-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) - [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/) - [Lincoln County ordinance use search](https://lincolncountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25768/UDO-MASTER-amended-2026-05-18-Use-Table-and-ELDD-table-merge?bidId=) - [Lincoln County Planning and Inspections](https://www.lincolncountync.gov/104/Planning-and-Inspections) - [Lincoln County GIS parcel viewer](https://arcgisserver.lincolncountync.gov/taxparcelviewer/) - [Lincoln County Register of Deeds](https://lincolnrod.com/) - [Lincoln County online land records search](https://lincolnrod.com/disclaimer/) - [Lincoln County Tax Department](https://www.lincolncountync.gov/73/Tax-Department) - [Our Members | North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives](https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members) - [Company-reported county service territories, Form EIA-861 2024 final data (Service_Territory_2024.xlsx)](https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/zip/f8612024.zip) Transactions are handled through a licensed North Carolina real estate brokerage.