Data centers in Onslow County, North Carolina
The public record for Onslow County: 0 local government actions on data centers, 0 announced projects, the county's zoning, its electric providers, and the offices that hold the land records.
Onslow County at a glance
- County seat
- Jacksonville
- Population, 2024 estimate
- 212,954
- Land area, square miles
- 762.1
- Development tier, 2026
- Tier 2
- Last reappraisal
- 2022
- Next reappraisal
- 2027
- Regional council
- Eastern Carolina Council of Governments
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 Onslow County
Onslow County zones the unincorporated land outside municipal planning jurisdictions. County zoning covers land outside municipal planning jurisdictions, with exemptions for bona fide farms and federal government land.
Onslow County Zoning Ordinance
How the county ordinance treats a data center
The county ordinance names this use. "Data Centers" are permitted in O-I, HB, L-IN, and H-IN districts under the permitted-use table.
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 Onslow County
6 incorporated municipalities lie wholly or partly in Onslow County. A municipality regulates land inside its limits, and some also regulate a band outside them. Who regulates a property in North Carolina
- Holly Ridge
- Jacksonville
- North Topsail Beach
- Richlands
- Surf City
- Swansboro
Electric providers in Onslow 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 Onslow County.
| Provider | Type | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative | cooperative | [1] | |
| Four County EMC | cooperative | [1] | |
| Jones-Onslow EMC | 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 Onslow County
County offices hold the records that show who owns a parcel, what is recorded against it, and how it is taxed.
- Onslow County Register of DeedsDeeds, plats, easements, and deeds of trust.
- Onslow County eSearchRecorded documents, searched by name or by book and page.
- Onslow County Tax OfficeAssessed value, tax bills, and present-use status.
- Onslow County Planning & DevelopmentZoning 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
Onslow County last reappraised real property effective 2022. The next reappraisal is scheduled for 2027.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce ranks Onslow 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 Onslow County have a data center moratorium?
We found no recorded moratorium action on data centers in Onslow 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 Onslow County?
We have no announced data-center project on record for Onslow County as of 2026.09.30.
Does Onslow County have zoning?
Onslow County zones the unincorporated land outside municipal planning jurisdictions. County zoning covers land outside municipal planning jurisdictions, with exemptions for bona fide farms and federal government land.
Who provides electricity in Onslow County?
Providers with territory or customers in Onslow County: Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative; Four County EMC; Jones-Onslow EMC; Duke Energy Progress. 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
- Onslow County ordinance use search
- Onslow County Planning & Development
- Onslow County Register of Deeds
- Onslow County eSearch
- Onslow County Tax Office
- Our Members | North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives
- Company-reported county service territories, Form EIA-861 2024 final data (Service_Territory_2024.xlsx)
Looking at land in Onslow County?
Send the parcel and the county. We confirm which government regulates it and read the record for power, local rules, and usable ground.