Clark County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Arkadelphia and Gurdon
No data center or power plant project is on record in Clark County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Clark County is home to Arkadelphia, Gurdon, Amity and Caddo Valley. Next door, Hot Spring County has 467 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 8,716 jobs in 2025, down 6.3% from 2019. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Clark County
Clark County is home to Arkadelphia, Gurdon, Amity and Caddo Valley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alpine, Beirne.
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 Clark County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,404 | 20,938 | ▼ 2.2% | 32nd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,302 | 8,716 | ▼ 6.3% | 52nd of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,972 | $47,304 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 76 MW of capacity, 92% of it hydro. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Clark County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 20,938 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Clark County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clark 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% |
| South Central Ark El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,410 | 14.70¢ | 12% |
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 | 70 MW | 92% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degray | USCE -Vickburg District | Hydro | 70 MW | 1972 |
| Veolia (Gum Springs) | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| South Central Electric Cooperative | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Clark County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,716 | $47,304 | 1.00 |
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 Clark County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clark County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Clark County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clark County, Hot Spring 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 20,938 | ▼ 6.3% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Dallas County | 6,011 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Hot Spring County | 33,451 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,022 MW | 467 MW | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 8,579 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Nevada County | 7,942 | ▼ 21.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Ouachita County | 21,731 | ▲ 0.3% | 144 MW | — | — | — |
| Pike County | 9,964 | ▼ 6.5% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Clark County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clark County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Clark County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, South Central Ark El Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clark County?
3 operating plants with 76 MW of capacity. The largest is Degray (70 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Clark County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clark County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hot Spring County.
Is Clark County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,716 jobs in 2025 against 9,302 in 2019 (-6.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Clark County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clark County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.