Conway County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morrilton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Conway County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Conway County is home to Morrilton, Oppelo and Plumerville. Construction employs 575, up 21.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 32 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Employers here counted 6,346 jobs in 2025, down 2.8% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Conway 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.
Cities and towns in Conway County
Conway County is home to Morrilton, Oppelo and Plumerville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Center Ridge, Hattieville, Jerusalem, Springfield.
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 Conway County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,733 | 21,393 | ▲ 3.2% | 31st of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,526 | 6,346 | ▼ 2.8% | 48th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,862 | $51,834 | ▲ 30.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 472 | 575 | ▲ 21.8% | 15th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 21,393 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Conway County
Utilities with service territory in Conway 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 | 32 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whillock | Arkansas Electric Coop Corp | Hydro | 32 MW | 1993 |
The Conway County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,346 | $51,834 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 575 | $71,668 | 1.71 |
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 Conway County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Conway County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Conway County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Conway County, Pope 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conway County | 21,393 | ▼ 2.8% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Faulkner County | 133,979 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 10,309 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Pope County | 64,976 | ▲ 3.6% | 2,006 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Buren County | 16,238 | ▲ 8.6% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Yell County | 19,956 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Conway County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Conway County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Conway 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 Conway County?
1 operating plant with 32 MW of capacity. The largest is Whillock (32 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Conway County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Conway County.
Is Conway County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,346 jobs in 2025 against 6,526 in 2019 (-2.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 472 to 575.
Does Conway County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Conway County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.