Crawford County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Van Buren, Alma and Mulberry
No data center or power plant project is on record in Crawford County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Crawford County is home to Van Buren, Alma, Mulberry and Cedarville. Next door, Washington County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 17,862 jobs in 2025, down 9.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 34 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Electrical contractors employ 68, unchanged since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $49,201 a year.
Cities and towns in Crawford County
Crawford County is home to Van Buren, Alma, Mulberry and Cedarville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dora, Uniontown.
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 Crawford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 60,164 | 62,657 | ▲ 4.1% | 13th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,692 | 17,862 | ▼ 9.3% | 61st of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,082 | $50,161 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 68 | 68 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR) is the largest utility serving Crawford County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.03¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 62,657 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers Crawford County
Utilities with service territory in Crawford County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 72,076 | 13.03¢ | 25% |
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 58,218 | 11.49¢ | 31% |
| Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 54,372 | 13.33¢ | 16% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 34 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis Hydro | Arkansas Electric Coop Corp | Hydro | 32 MW | 1988 |
| Lee Creek Water Treatment Facility | City of Fort Smith - (AR) | Hydro | 1 MW | 1992 |
The Crawford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,862 | $50,161 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 68 | $49,201 | 0.53 |
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 Crawford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Crawford County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Madison County.
Crawford County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Crawford County, Franklin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 62,657 | ▼ 9.3% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Adair County OK | 19,828 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 17,725 | ▲ 2.5% | 362 MW | 69 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 18,410 | ▲ 6.7% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sebastian County | 130,641 | ▲ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Sequoyah County OK | 40,842 | ▼ 0.9% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 271,213 | ▲ 11.2% | 454 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Arkansas
Crawford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Crawford County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Crawford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR), Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp. The largest, Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR), charged residential customers 13.03¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Van Buren, AR in?
Van Buren is in Crawford County, Arkansas. About 24,556 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Crawford County?
2 operating plants with 34 MW of capacity. The largest is Ellis Hydro (32 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Crawford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Crawford County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Crawford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,862 jobs in 2025 against 19,692 in 2019 (-9.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Crawford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Crawford County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.