Cleburne County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Heber Springs
Cleburne County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Cleburne County is home to Heber Springs, Greers Ferry and most of Quitman (675 of its 704 residents). Next door, White County has 1 data center. Electrical contractors employ 24, up 26.3% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $40,728 a year. Construction employs 323, down 0.3% since 2019. Its power plants have 96 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Cleburne County
Cleburne County is home to Heber Springs, Greers Ferry and most of Quitman (675 of its 704 residents).
- Fairfield Bay also extends into Van Buren County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Drasco, Edgemont, Tumbling Shoals, Wilburn.
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 Cleburne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,712 | 25,672 | ▲ 3.9% | 25th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,392 | 6,575 | ▲ 2.9% | 24th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,406 | $42,929 | ▲ 21.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 324 | 323 | ▼ 0.3% | 29th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 24 | ▲ 26.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 6,575 jobs in 2025, up 2.9% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Cleburne 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. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 25,672 people live here, up 3.9% since 2020.
Who powers Cleburne County
Utilities with service territory in Cleburne 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% |
| First Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 95,175 | 12.27¢ | 11% |
| Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,776 | 15.62¢ | 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 96 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greers Ferry Lake | USCE-Little Rock District | Hydro | 96 MW | 1964 |
The Cleburne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,575 | $42,929 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 323 | $49,042 | 0.93 |
| Electrical contractors | 24 | $40,728 | 0.51 |
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 Cleburne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cleburne County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Independence County.
Cleburne County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cleburne County, Independence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleburne County | 25,672 | ▲ 2.9% | 96 MW | — | — | — |
| Faulkner County | 133,979 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Independence County | 38,785 | ▲ 9.6% | 1,808 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Stone County | 12,703 | ▲ 0.1% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Buren County | 16,238 | ▲ 8.6% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| White County | 80,085 | ▲ 11.2% | 209 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Arkansas
Cleburne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cleburne County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Cleburne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, First Electric Coop Corp, Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cleburne County?
1 operating plant with 96 MW of capacity. The largest is Greers Ferry Lake (96 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Cleburne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cleburne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in White County.
Is Cleburne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,575 jobs in 2025 against 6,392 in 2019 (+2.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 324 to 323.
Does Cleburne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cleburne County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.