# Data Centers in Pender County, NC: Rules, Power, Records | FOUND Pender 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/pender-county/ Last updated 2026.09.30 ## Pender County at a glance - County seat: Burgaw - Population, 2024 estimate: 70077 - 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. https://www.pendercountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/265/Pender-County-Unified-Development-Ordinance-UDO-PDF?bidId= ### 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. https://www.pendercountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/265/Pender-County-Unified-Development-Ordinance-UDO-PDF?bidId= ### Municipalities in Pender County 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. - Four County EMC (cooperative) https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members - Jones-Onslow EMC (cooperative) https://www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/our-members - Duke Energy Progress (investor-owned) 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 Pender County - [Pender County GIS general parcel search](https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3ef6176b28f644ecbeb43b88542f0e52/): Parcel boundaries, parcel numbers, the owner of record, and mapped acreage. - [Pender County Register of Deeds](https://www.pendercountync.gov/269/Register-of-Deeds): Deeds, plats, easements, and deeds of trust. - [Pender County real estate and vital records search](https://us5.courthousecomputersystems.com/pendernc/): Recorded documents, searched by name or by book and page. - [Pender County Tax Administration](https://www.pendercountync.gov/511/Tax-Administration): Assessed value, tax bills, and present-use status. - [Pender County Planning and Community Development](https://www.pendercountync.gov/248/Planning-Community-Development): Zoning 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. ### 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 - [Bladen County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/bladen-county/index.md) - [Brunswick County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/brunswick-county/index.md) - [Columbus County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/columbus-county/index.md) - [Duplin County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/duplin-county/index.md) - [New Hanover County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/new-hanover-county/index.md) - [Onslow County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/onslow-county/index.md) - [Sampson County](https://lotsfound.com/research/north-carolina/sampson-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/) - [Pender County ordinance use search](https://www.pendercountync.gov/DocumentCenter/View/265/Pender-County-Unified-Development-Ordinance-UDO-PDF?bidId=) - [Pender County Planning and Community Development](https://www.pendercountync.gov/248/Planning-Community-Development) - [Pender County GIS general parcel search](https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3ef6176b28f644ecbeb43b88542f0e52/) - [Pender County Register of Deeds](https://www.pendercountync.gov/269/Register-of-Deeds) - [Pender County real estate and vital records search](https://us5.courthousecomputersystems.com/pendernc/) - [Pender County Tax Administration](https://www.pendercountync.gov/511/Tax-Administration) - [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.