Lincoln County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Star City
Lincoln 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. Lincoln County is home to Star City and Gould. Next door, Jefferson County has 1,996 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 2,510 jobs in 2025, down 11.1% from 2019. 7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
Lincoln County is home to Star City and Gould.
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 Lincoln County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,893 | 12,764 | ▼ 1.0% | 53rd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,823 | 2,510 | ▼ 11.1% | 65th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,498 | $48,363 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Lincoln 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 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. 12,764 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Lincoln County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lincoln 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% |
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 | 7 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADC Varner | Entegrity Solar ADC, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| C&L | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2020 |
| Star City School District | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Lincoln County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,510 | $48,363 | 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 Lincoln County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lincoln County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Lincoln County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lincoln County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 12,764 | ▼ 11.1% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Arkansas County | 15,836 | ▼ 11.7% | 81 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Cleveland County | 7,224 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Desha County | 9,984 | ▼ 15.2% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Drew County | 17,054 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 62,987 | ▼ 8.0% | 2,115 MW | 1,996 MW | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Lincoln County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lincoln County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Lincoln County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, C & L Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lincoln County?
3 operating plants with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is ADC Varner (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Lincoln County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lincoln County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jefferson County.
Is Lincoln County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,510 jobs in 2025 against 2,823 in 2019 (-11.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lincoln County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.