Lonoke County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cabot, Ward and Lonoke
Lonoke 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. Lonoke County is home to Cabot, Ward, Lonoke and Austin. Construction employs 1,088, up 15.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 15,977 jobs in 2025, up 14.3% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 75 Arkansas counties). Next door, Jefferson County has 1,996 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 102, down 1.0% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $53,908 a year.
Cities and towns in Lonoke County
Lonoke County is home to Cabot, Ward, Lonoke and Austin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Scott.
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 Lonoke County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 74,065 | 76,664 | ▲ 3.5% | 10th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,975 | 15,977 | ▲ 14.3% | 4th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,572 | $43,651 | ▲ 22.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 946 | 1,088 | ▲ 15.0% | 20th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 103 | 102 | ▼ 1.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Lonoke 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. 76,664 people live here, up 3.5% since 2020, 10th of 75 Arkansas counties by population. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019.
Who powers Lonoke County
Utilities with service territory in Lonoke 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% |
| First Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 95,175 | 12.27¢ | 11% |
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 Lonoke County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lonoke County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,977 | $43,651 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,088 | $61,339 | 1.29 |
| Electrical contractors | 102 | $53,908 | 0.89 |
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 Lonoke County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lonoke County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Pulaski County.
Lonoke County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lonoke 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lonoke County | 76,664 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Arkansas County | 15,836 | ▼ 11.7% | 81 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Faulkner County | 133,979 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 62,987 | ▼ 8.0% | 2,115 MW | 1,996 MW | — | — |
| Prairie County | 7,923 | ▼ 1.9% | — | 10 MW | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 404,611 | ▲ 4.3% | 664 MW | 5 MW | 2 | 2 |
| White County | 80,085 | ▲ 11.2% | 209 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Arkansas
Lonoke County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lonoke County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Lonoke County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, First Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cabot, AR in?
Cabot is in Lonoke County, Arkansas. About 27,711 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Lonoke County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lonoke County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jefferson County.
Is Lonoke County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,977 jobs in 2025 against 13,975 in 2019 (+14.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 946 to 1,088.
Does Lonoke County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lonoke County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.