Jackson County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newport, Tuckerman and Diaz
Jackson 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 172, up 57.8% since 2019. Jackson County is home to Newport, Tuckerman, Diaz and Swifton. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 6.3% in 2019. Next door, White County has 1 data center. 184 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to Newport, Tuckerman, Diaz and Swifton.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,742 | 16,741 | ● 0.0% | 44th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,153 | 5,084 | ▼ 1.3% | 38th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,771 | $51,525 | ▲ 36.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 109 | 172 | ▲ 57.8% | 4th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.3% | 3.9% | ▼ 2.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 184 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 184 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Jackson 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. Employers here counted 5,084 jobs in 2025, down 1.3% from 2019. 16,741 people live here, down 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Jackson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +184 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jackson 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% |
| Farmers Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 184 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport Solar Project | Newport Solar, LLC | Solar | 180 MW | 2023 |
| White River Medical Center | Entegrity Solar WRMC, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2023 |
| Farmers Electric Cooperative | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,084 | $51,525 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 172 | $63,506 | 0.64 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Independence County.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 16,741 | ▼ 1.3% | 184 MW | — | — | — |
| Craighead County | 116,957 | ▲ 6.4% | 236 MW | — | — | — |
| Cross County | 16,186 | ▼ 1.8% | 414 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Independence County | 38,785 | ▲ 9.6% | 1,808 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lawrence County | 16,273 | ▲ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Poinsett County | 22,483 | ▲ 2.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| White County | 80,085 | ▲ 11.2% | 209 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Woodruff County | 5,710 | ▲ 18.7% | 122 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Farmers Electric Coop Corp - (AR). The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jackson County?
3 operating plants with 184 MW of capacity. The largest is Newport Solar Project (180 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in White County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,084 jobs in 2025 against 5,153 in 2019 (-1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 109 to 172.
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.