Benton County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rogers, Bentonville and Bella Vista
Benton County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Benton County, 8% of Arkansas's total. Benton County is home to Rogers, Bentonville, Bella Vista and Centerton. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through February 10, 2027”. Electrical contractors employ 1,580, up 59.9% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $76,127 a year. Employers here counted 150,665 jobs in 2025, up 23.0% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 75 Arkansas counties).
Cities and towns in Benton County
Benton County is home to Rogers, Bentonville, Bella Vista and Centerton.
- Springdale also extends into Washington County.
- Elm Springs also extends into Washington County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cherokee City, Lost Bridge Village, Maysville, Prairie Creek.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Benton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 286,597 | 332,554 | ▲ 16.0% | 2nd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 122,478 | 150,665 | ▲ 23.0% | 1st of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $62,451 | $91,099 | ▲ 45.9% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 988 | 1,580 | ▲ 59.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 94 | 102 | ▲ 8.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 184 | 352 | ▲ 91.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
332,554 people live here, up 16.0% since 2020, 2nd of 75 Arkansas counties by population. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 561 MW of capacity, 99% of it coal, the 9th largest fleet in Arkansas. Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Benton County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.53¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019.
Who powers Benton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Benton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,102 | 11.53¢ | 37% |
| Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 101,154 | 12.25¢ | 21% |
| Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 72,076 | 13.03¢ | 25% |
| City of Bentonville - (AR) | Municipal | Bundled | 25,103 | 11.65¢ | 61% |
| City of Siloam Springs - (AR) | Municipal | Bundled | 8,590 | 11.65¢ | 7% |
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,813 | 13.39¢ | 23% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 558 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint Creek | Southwestern Electric Power Co | Coal | 558 MW | 1978 |
| XNA (NW AR Natnl Airport) | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 3 MW | 2025 |
The Benton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 150,665 | $91,099 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,580 | $76,127 | 1.45 |
| Power and communication line construction | 102 | $67,692 | 0.42 |
| Data processing and hosting | 352 | $98,847 | 0.75 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Benton County
1 data center in Benton County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through February 10, 2027 | In force | 2026-08 |
Benton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Benton County, Carroll County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 332,554 | ▲ 23.0% | 561 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Adair County OK | 19,828 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Barry County MO | 36,200 | ▼ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 29,263 | ▼ 1.2% | 114 MW | 183 MW | — | 1 |
| Delaware County OK | 41,910 | ▲ 7.6% | — | 80 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 18,410 | ▲ 6.7% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |
| McDonald County MO | 23,992 | ▼ 17.6% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Washington County | 271,213 | ▲ 11.2% | 454 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Arkansas
Benton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Benton County, Arkansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Benton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR), Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR), City of Bentonville - (AR). The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 11.53¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Rogers, AR in?
Rogers is in Benton County, Arkansas. About 76,956 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bentonville, AR in?
Bentonville is in Benton County, Arkansas. About 63,057 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bella Vista, AR in?
Bella Vista is in Benton County, Arkansas. About 34,518 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Benton County?
2 operating plants with 561 MW of capacity. The largest is Flint Creek (558 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Benton County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Benton County.
Is Benton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 150,665 jobs in 2025 against 122,478 in 2019 (+23.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Benton County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Benton County, 1 in force.