Drew County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Monticello
No data center or power plant project is on record in Drew County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Drew County is home to Monticello. Construction employs 149, down 10.2% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 6,325 jobs in 2025, down 1.8% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Drew 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 Drew County
Drew County is home to Monticello.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Collins, Lacey.
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 Drew County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,321 | 17,054 | ▼ 1.5% | 43rd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,438 | 6,325 | ▼ 1.8% | 42nd of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,884 | $44,379 | ▲ 23.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 166 | 149 | ▼ 10.2% | 32nd of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 4.1% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
17,054 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Drew County
Utilities with service territory in Drew 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% |
| Ashley Chicot Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Drew County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Drew County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,325 | $44,379 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 149 | $57,244 | 0.44 |
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 Drew County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Drew County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Drew County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Drew County, Ashley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew County | 17,054 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Ashley County | 17,831 | ▼ 8.0% | 236 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
| Bradley County | 9,828 | ▼ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Chicot County | 9,107 | ▼ 10.4% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Cleveland County | 7,224 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Desha County | 9,984 | ▼ 15.2% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 12,764 | ▼ 11.1% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Drew County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Drew County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Drew County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, C & L Electric Coop Corp, Ashley Chicot Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Drew County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Drew County.
Is Drew County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,325 jobs in 2025 against 6,438 in 2019 (-1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 166 to 149.
Does Drew County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Drew County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.