Izard County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Horseshoe Bend, Calico Rock and Melbourne
No data center or power plant project is on record in Izard County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Izard County is home to Horseshoe Bend, Calico Rock, Melbourne and Oxford. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Columbia Flooring Melbourne (other technologies, 2 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 2,949 jobs in 2025, down 4.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Izard 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.
Cities and towns in Izard County
Izard County is home to Horseshoe Bend, Calico Rock, Melbourne and Oxford.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Mount Olive, Violet Hill.
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 Izard County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,604 | 14,405 | ▲ 5.9% | 50th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,095 | 2,949 | ▼ 4.7% | 51st of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,596 | $44,410 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 5.3% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
14,405 people live here, up 5.9% since 2020.
Who powers Izard County
Utilities with service territory in Izard 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% |
| North Arkansas Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,355 | 12.86¢ | 17% |
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 Izard County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Flooring Melbourne | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Izard County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,949 | $44,410 | 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 Izard County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Izard County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Independence County.
Izard County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Izard County, Independence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Izard County | 14,405 | ▼ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Baxter County | 42,982 | ▲ 11.0% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Fulton County | 12,492 | ▼ 13.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Independence County | 38,785 | ▲ 9.6% | 1,808 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sharp County | 18,122 | ▲ 12.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Stone County | 12,703 | ▲ 0.1% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Izard County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Izard County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Izard County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, North Arkansas Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Izard County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Izard County.
Is Izard County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,949 jobs in 2025 against 3,095 in 2019 (-4.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Izard County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Izard County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.