Carroll County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Berryville, Green Forest and Holiday Island
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Carroll County. Carroll County is home to Berryville, Green Forest, Holiday Island and Eureka Springs. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month data center moratorium”. Construction employs 469, up 33.6% since 2019. 183 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Nimbus Wind Farm LLC (wind), the 6th largest pipeline among Arkansas's counties. 183 MW of it is already under construction or built. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Carroll County
Carroll County is home to Berryville, Green Forest, Holiday Island and Eureka Springs.
- Alpena also extends into Boone County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Holiday Island.
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 Carroll County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,245 | 29,263 | ▲ 3.6% | 23rd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,843 | 10,708 | ▼ 1.2% | 36th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,496 | $42,542 | ▲ 35.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 351 | 469 | ▲ 33.6% | 11th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 183 MW | 160% of today's fleet | 6th of 14 by size |
Its power plants have 114 MW of capacity, 98% of it hydro. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Carroll County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. Employers here counted 10,708 jobs in 2025, down 1.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 29,263 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Carroll County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carroll County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 608,362 | 12.97¢ | 25% |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,102 | 11.53¢ | 37% |
| Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 101,154 | 12.25¢ | 21% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 112 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam (AR) | USCE-Little Rock District | Hydro | 112 MW | 1965 |
| City of Green Forest (Carroll) | Entegrity Solar Green Forest, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
| Berryville School District Solar | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nimbus Wind Farm | Onshore Wind Turbine | 183 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Nimbus Wind Farm LLC |
The Carroll County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,708 | $42,542 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 469 | $52,984 | 0.83 |
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 Carroll County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Carroll County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Carroll County, Benton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 29,263 | ▼ 1.2% | 114 MW | 183 MW | — | 1 |
| Barry County MO | 36,200 | ▼ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 332,554 | ▲ 23.0% | 561 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Boone County | 38,628 | ▼ 0.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 18,410 | ▲ 6.7% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Newton County | 7,026 | ▼ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Stone County MO | 32,503 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Taney County MO | 57,001 | ▼ 2.1% | 216 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Carroll County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carroll County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Carroll County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Southwestern Electric Power Co, Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR). The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Carroll County?
3 operating plants with 114 MW of capacity. The largest is Beaver Dam (AR) (112 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Carroll County?
183 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 183 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Nimbus Wind Farm LLC.
Are there data centers in Carroll County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carroll County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Benton County.
Is Carroll County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,708 jobs in 2025 against 10,843 in 2019 (-1.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 351 to 469.
Does Carroll County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Carroll County, 1 in force.