Craighead County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jonesboro, Brookland and Bono
Craighead 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. Craighead County is home to Jonesboro, Brookland, Bono and Lake City. Construction employs 2,570, up 18.9% since 2019. Next door, Mississippi County has 2,250 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 55,451 jobs in 2025, up 6.4% from 2019. 11 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Craighead County
Craighead County is home to Jonesboro, Brookland, Bono and Lake City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bowman.
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 Craighead County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 111,624 | 116,957 | ▲ 4.8% | 7th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52,105 | 55,451 | ▲ 6.4% | 18th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,849 | $53,124 | ▲ 30.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,162 | 2,570 | ▲ 18.9% | 17th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 11 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 236 MW of capacity, 95% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Craighead 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. 116,957 people live here, up 4.8% since 2020, 7th of 75 Arkansas counties by population.
Who powers Craighead County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +11 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Craighead 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% |
| City Water and Light Plant | Municipal | Bundled | 35,013 | 6.63¢ | 23% |
| Craighead Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,326 | 11.99¢ | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 224 MW | 95% |
| Solar | 11 MW | 5% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro City Water & Light Plant | City Water and Light Plant - (AR) | Natural gas | 224 MW | 1999 |
| Jonesboro CWL Solar Park | City Water and Light Plant - (AR) | Solar | 10 MW | 2022 |
| Craighead Electric Solar One | Today's Power, Inc. | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2018 |
The Craighead County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 55,451 | $53,124 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,570 | $65,742 | 0.87 |
| Power and communication line construction | 115 | $67,291 | 1.28 |
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 Craighead County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Craighead County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Craighead County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Craighead County, Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craighead County | 116,957 | ▲ 6.4% | 236 MW | — | — | — |
| Dunklin County MO | 26,855 | ▲ 1.8% | 559 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 47,411 | ▼ 1.3% | 35 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 16,741 | ▼ 1.3% | 184 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 16,273 | ▲ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Mississippi County | 37,828 | ▲ 11.0% | 1,927 MW | 2,250 MW | — | — |
| Poinsett County | 22,483 | ▲ 2.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Craighead County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Craighead County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Craighead County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, City Water and Light Plant, Craighead Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Jonesboro, AR in?
Jonesboro is in Craighead County, Arkansas. About 83,296 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Craighead County?
3 operating plants with 236 MW of capacity. The largest is Jonesboro City Water & Light Plant (224 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Craighead County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Craighead County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mississippi County.
Is Craighead County adding jobs?
Employers counted 55,451 jobs in 2025 against 52,105 in 2019 (+6.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,162 to 2,570.
Does Craighead County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Craighead County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.