Howard County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Nashville and Mineral Springs
Howard 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. Construction employs 182, up 78.4% since 2019. Howard County is home to Nashville, Mineral Springs and Dierks. Employers here counted 5,732 jobs in 2025, down 13.8% from 2019. Next door, Hempstead County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Howard County
Howard County is home to Nashville, Mineral Springs and Dierks.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Center Point, Saratoga.
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 Howard County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,760 | 12,306 | ▼ 3.6% | 56th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,653 | 5,732 | ▼ 13.8% | 69th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,357 | $46,946 | ▲ 36.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 102 | 182 | ▲ 78.4% | 2nd of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Howard County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.53¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 12,306 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Howard County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Howard County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,102 | 11.53¢ | 37% |
| Southwest Arkansas E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,879 | 12.96¢ | 20% |
| South Central Ark El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,410 | 14.70¢ | 12% |
| Rich Mountain 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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UADA | Entegrity Solar UA AG, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2023 |
| ACC | Entegrity Solar ACC, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Howard County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,732 | $46,946 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 182 | $54,391 | 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 Howard County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Howard County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Howard County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Howard County, Hempstead 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 12,306 | ▼ 13.8% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Hempstead County | 19,080 | ▼ 0.2% | 764 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Little River County | 11,763 | ▼ 11.7% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 8,579 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Pike County | 9,964 | ▼ 6.5% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 19,486 | ▼ 2.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Sevier County | 15,758 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Howard County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Howard County, Arkansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Howard County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Southwest Arkansas E C C, South Central Ark El Coop, Inc, Rich Mountain Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 11.53¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Howard County?
2 operating plants with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is UADA (3 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Howard County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Howard County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hempstead County.
Is Howard County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,732 jobs in 2025 against 6,653 in 2019 (-13.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 102 to 182.
Does Howard County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Howard County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.