North Carolina counties

Data centers in Pender County, North Carolina

The public record for Pender 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.

Last updated 2026.09.30

Pender County at a glance

County seat: Burgaw
Population, 2024 estimate: 70,077
Land area, square miles: 871.3
Development tier, 2026: Tier 3
Last reappraisal: 2019
Next reappraisal: 2027
Regional council: Cape Fear 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 Pender County

Pender County zones the unincorporated land outside municipal planning jurisdictions. The Pender County Unified Development Ordinance governs land use in all unincorporated areas outside the planning jurisdiction of any town.

Pender County Unified Development Ordinance

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 UDO text last amended August 14, 2026 contains no use named data center, data processing, data storage, server farm, cryptocurrency, or crypto.

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 Pender County

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

Atkinson
Burgaw
St. Helena
Surf City
Topsail Beach
Wallace
Watha

Electric providers in Pender 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 Pender County.

Provider	Type	Area	Source
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 Pender County

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

Pender County GIS general parcel searchParcel boundaries, parcel numbers, the owner of record, and mapped acreage.
Pender County Register of DeedsDeeds, plats, easements, and deeds of trust.
Pender County real estate and vital records searchRecorded documents, searched by name or by book and page.
Pender County Tax AdministrationAssessed value, tax bills, and present-use status.
Pender County Planning and Community DevelopmentZoning maps, the ordinance, and permit history.

Reappraisal and development tier

Pender County last reappraised real property effective 2019. The next reappraisal is scheduled for 2027.

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

We found no recorded moratorium action on data centers in Pender 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 Pender County?

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

Does Pender County have zoning?

Pender County zones the unincorporated land outside municipal planning jurisdictions. The Pender County Unified Development Ordinance governs land use in all unincorporated areas outside the planning jurisdiction of any town.

Who provides electricity in Pender County?

Providers with territory or customers in Pender County: Four County EMC; Jones-Onslow EMC; Duke Energy Progress. The provider for a parcel depends on where the parcel sits.

Where do I find parcel records for Pender County?

The Pender County GIS general parcel search shows parcel boundaries and the owner of record. The Pender County Register of Deeds holds deeds, plats, and easements.

Neighboring counties

Sources for this page

Looking at land in Pender County?

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