Cross County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wynne
Cross 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. Cross County is home to Wynne, Parkin and Cherry Valley. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by SR Cherry Valley, LLC (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, St. Francis County has 1 data center and 455 MW of planned generation. 414 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 414 MW of capacity, 65% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Cross County
Cross County is home to Wynne, Parkin and Cherry Valley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fair Oaks, Vanndale.
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 Cross County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,800 | 16,186 | ▼ 3.7% | 47th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,798 | 4,711 | ▼ 1.8% | 43rd of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,204 | $43,091 | ▲ 26.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 414 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 13th of 14 by size |
Employers here counted 4,711 jobs in 2025, down 1.8% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Cross 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. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 16,186 people live here, down 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers Cross County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +414 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cross 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% |
| Woodruff Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,125 | 11.40¢ | 34% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 270 MW | 65% |
| Wind | 144 MW | 35% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossover Wind | Crossover Wind, LLC | Wind | 144 MW | 2025 |
| Cherry Valley PV I | Cherry Valley PV I, LLC | Solar | 135 MW | 2026 |
| Quartz Solar, LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 135 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Cherry Valley | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | SR Cherry Valley, LLC |
The Cross County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,711 | $43,091 | 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 Cross County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cross County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Cross County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cross County, St. Francis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross County | 16,186 | ▼ 1.8% | 414 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Crittenden County | 46,210 | ▲ 9.5% | 360 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Jackson County | 16,741 | ▼ 1.3% | 184 MW | — | — | — |
| Poinsett County | 22,483 | ▲ 2.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| St. Francis County | 21,800 | ▼ 7.3% | 203 MW | 455 MW | 1 | — |
| Woodruff County | 5,710 | ▲ 18.7% | 122 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Cross County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cross County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Cross County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Woodruff Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cross County?
3 operating plants with 414 MW of capacity. The largest is Crossover Wind (144 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Cross County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SR Cherry Valley, LLC.
Are there data centers in Cross County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cross County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Francis County.
Is Cross County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,711 jobs in 2025 against 4,798 in 2019 (-1.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cross County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cross County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.