Dallas County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fordyce
Dallas 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. Dallas County is home to Fordyce. Next door, Hot Spring County has 467 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Dallas County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 6,011 people live here, down 6.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Dallas County
Dallas County is home to Fordyce.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ivan, Princeton.
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 Dallas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,441 | 6,011 | ▼ 6.7% | 72nd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,664 | 2,657 | ▼ 0.3% | 33rd of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,885 | $46,783 | ▲ 38.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69 | 68 | ▼ 1.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
Employers here counted 2,657 jobs in 2025, down 0.3% from 2019.
Who powers Dallas County
Utilities with service territory in Dallas 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% |
| South Central Ark El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,410 | 14.70¢ | 12% |
| Ouachita Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,391 | 13.19¢ | 10% |
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 Dallas County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Dallas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,657 | $46,783 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 68 | $46,565 | 0.48 |
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 Dallas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dallas County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Dallas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dallas County, Hot Spring 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 6,011 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 4,632 | ▲ 9.7% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 20,938 | ▼ 6.3% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Cleveland County | 7,224 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 18,756 | ▲ 8.6% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Hot Spring County | 33,451 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,022 MW | 467 MW | — | — |
| Ouachita County | 21,731 | ▲ 0.3% | 144 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Dallas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dallas County, Arkansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Dallas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, C & L Electric Coop Corp, South Central Ark El Coop, Inc, Ouachita Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Dallas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dallas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hot Spring County.
Is Dallas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,657 jobs in 2025 against 2,664 in 2019 (-0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 69 to 68.
Does Dallas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dallas County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.