Little River County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ashdown
No data center or power plant project is on record in Little River County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Little River County is home to Ashdown and Foreman. Next door, Hempstead County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 3,041 jobs in 2025, down 11.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 156 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Little River County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.53¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities.
Cities and towns in Little River County
Little River County is home to Ashdown and Foreman.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alleene, Yarborough Landing.
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 Little River County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,978 | 11,763 | ▼ 1.8% | 57th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,444 | 3,041 | ▼ 11.7% | 66th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,308 | $60,549 | ▲ 18.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 11,763 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Little River County
Utilities with service territory in Little River 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% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 156 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashdown | Domtar Industries Inc | Other technologies | 156 MW | 1968 |
The Little River County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,041 | $60,549 | 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 Little River County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Little River County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Little River County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Little River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little River County | 11,763 | ▼ 11.7% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Bowie County TX | 92,696 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Hempstead County | 19,080 | ▼ 0.2% | 764 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Howard County | 12,306 | ▼ 13.8% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| McCurtain County OK | 30,744 | ▲ 11.5% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Miller County | 42,357 | ▼ 8.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Sevier County | 15,758 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Little River County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Little River County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Little River County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Southwest Arkansas E C C. The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 11.53¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Little River County?
1 operating plant with 156 MW of capacity. The largest is Ashdown (156 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Little River County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Little River County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hempstead County.
Is Little River County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,041 jobs in 2025 against 3,444 in 2019 (-11.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Little River County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Little River County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.