Hot Spring County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Malvern
Hot Spring County is a generation frontier for Arkansas. Hot Spring County is home to Malvern and Rockport. 467 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Entergy Arkansas LLC (natural gas), the 3rd largest pipeline among Arkansas's counties. Construction employs 240, up 23.1% since 2019. Owners plan to retire 552 MW more by 2035, led by Lake Catherine in 2027. Its power plants have 2,022 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 3rd largest fleet in Arkansas.
Cities and towns in Hot Spring County
Hot Spring County is home to Malvern and Rockport.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bismarck, Jones Mills, Magnet Cove.
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 Hot Spring County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,086 | 33,451 | ▲ 1.1% | 22nd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,220 | 7,627 | ▼ 7.2% | 56th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,222 | $50,218 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 195 | 240 | ▲ 23.1% | 14th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 467 MW | 23% of today's fleet | 3rd of 14 by size |
Employers here counted 7,627 jobs in 2025, down 7.2% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 33, at an average $41,495 a year. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Hot Spring 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 3.6% in 2019. 33,451 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Hot Spring County
Utilities with service territory in Hot Spring 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% |
| South Central Ark El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,410 | 14.70¢ | 12% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,013 MW | 100% |
| Hydro | 9 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnet Cove | Arkansas Electric Coop Corp | Natural gas | 746 MW | 2005 |
| Hot Spring Generating Facility | Entergy Arkansas LLC | Natural gas | 715 MW | 2002 |
| Lake Catherine | Entergy Arkansas LLC | Natural gas | 552 MW | 1970 |
| Remmel | Entergy Arkansas LLC | Hydro | 9 MW | 1925 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironwood Power Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 467 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Entergy Arkansas LLC |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Catherine | Natural gas | 552 MW | 2027 |
The Hot Spring County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,627 | $50,218 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 240 | $41,531 | 0.59 |
| Electrical contractors | 33 | $41,495 | 0.60 |
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 Hot Spring County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hot Spring County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Hot Spring County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Hot Spring County, Garland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Spring County | 33,451 | ▼ 7.2% | 2,022 MW | 467 MW | — | — |
| Clark County | 20,938 | ▼ 6.3% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Dallas County | 6,011 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Garland County | 99,695 | ▲ 2.0% | 132 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 18,756 | ▲ 8.6% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 8,579 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Saline County | 133,288 | ▲ 15.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Hot Spring County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hot Spring County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Hot Spring County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, South Central Ark El Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Malvern, AR in?
Malvern is in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. About 11,144 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hot Spring County?
4 operating plants with 2,022 MW of capacity. The largest is Magnet Cove (746 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Hot Spring County?
467 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Entergy Arkansas LLC.
Are there data centers in Hot Spring County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hot Spring County.
Is Hot Spring County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,627 jobs in 2025 against 8,220 in 2019 (-7.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 195 to 240.
Does Hot Spring County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hot Spring County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.