York County, SC Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Max data center height
- 80 feet
- Extra setback per foot over district max
- 2 ft side + 2 ft rear
- Base district height range
- 40-60 feet (Table 155.058-1)
- Cryptocurrency mining
- Included in data center definition
- Governing sections
- § 155.058(C); definitions § 155.1301
Summary
York County caps data center buildings at 80 feet under Zoning Code § 155.058(C), well above the 40-to-60-foot ceiling that applies to most base zoning districts. A data center built taller than the underlying district's standard maximum height must add two extra feet of side and rear setback for every foot of additional height, and the definition of data center expressly includes cryptocurrency mining operations.
Data centers. The maximum building height for a data center is 80 feet, provided that two additional feet of side setback width and rear setback depth above the zoning district minimum is required for each foot of additional height above the district maximum.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-49: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 3925, passed 6-16-25).
Full Breakdown
058(C), part of the setbacks and height section of Subchapter B: Zoning Districts. 058-1, but a data center may rise to 80 feet outright. Height above the underlying zoning district's own maximum comes at a setback cost: for every foot a data center exceeds the district's standard maximum, the project must add two feet of side setback width and two feet of rear setback depth beyond the district minimum, so a taller server farm effectively buys height by giving up buildable footprint at the property edges.
1301 covers a facility containing one or more large-scale computer systems, located within a building or group of buildings, used for data storage and processing for off-site users, listing routers, switches, firewalls, storage systems, servers, and application-delivery controllers as key components and back-up batteries, generators, cooling units, fire suppression and enhanced security as typical supporting equipment. That same definition explicitly states it includes cryptocurrency mining operations, so a crypto-mining facility in unincorporated York County is zoned and height-limited exactly like any other data center rather than under a separate industrial-use category.
Violations & Fines
A data center that exceeds 80 feet, or that adds height above its district's base maximum without the required extra side and rear setback, is a zoning violation under the general enforcement provision at § 155.9999. The Zoning Administrator, County Attorney, Planning and Development Services Director, or County Council can pursue the matter in court, and each day a noncompliant structure stands is a separate offense punishable by a fine of up to $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a data center in York County be taller than nearby homes?
Does a cryptocurrency mining facility need a different permit than a data center?
Has York County adopted a moratorium on new data centers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina data centers & crypto mining overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.