Cleveland County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to New Edinburg and Rye
Cleveland 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. Cleveland County is home to Rison. Next door, Jefferson County has 1,996 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 1,051 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Cleveland 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. 7,224 people live here, down 4.3% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Cleveland County
Cleveland County is home to Rison.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): New Edinburg, Rye, Staves, Woodlawn.
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 Cleveland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,551 | 7,224 | ▼ 4.3% | 69th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,033 | 1,051 | ▲ 1.7% | 28th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,529 | $44,778 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019.
Who powers Cleveland County
Utilities with service territory in Cleveland 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% |
| C & L Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,000 | 13.26¢ | 27% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Cleveland County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Cleveland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,051 | $44,778 | 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 Cleveland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cleveland County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Cleveland County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Cleveland County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland County | 7,224 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Bradley County | 9,828 | ▼ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 4,632 | ▲ 9.7% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Dallas County | 6,011 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Drew County | 17,054 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 18,756 | ▲ 8.6% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 62,987 | ▼ 8.0% | 2,115 MW | 1,996 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 12,764 | ▼ 11.1% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Cleveland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cleveland County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Cleveland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, C & L Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Cleveland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cleveland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jefferson County.
Is Cleveland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,051 jobs in 2025 against 1,033 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cleveland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cleveland County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.