Monroe County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brinkley and Clarendon
Monroe 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. Monroe County is home to Brinkley and Clarendon. Employers here counted 1,737 jobs in 2025, down 14.4% from 2019. Next door, St. Francis County has 1 data center and 455 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 3 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 Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Brinkley and Clarendon.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Indian Bay, Monroe.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,769 | 6,244 | ▼ 7.8% | 71st of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,029 | 1,737 | ▼ 14.4% | 70th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,957 | $43,273 | ▲ 35.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
6,244 people live here, down 7.8% since 2020.
Who powers Monroe County
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| Woodruff Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,125 | 11.40¢ | 34% |
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 Monroe County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,737 | $43,273 | 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 Monroe County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Monroe County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Monroe County, St. Francis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 6,244 | ▼ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Arkansas County | 15,836 | ▼ 11.7% | 81 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Lee County | 8,029 | ▼ 15.7% | 100 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Phillips County | 14,255 | ▼ 18.8% | 200 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Prairie County | 7,923 | ▼ 1.9% | — | 10 MW | — | — |
| St. Francis County | 21,800 | ▼ 7.3% | 203 MW | 455 MW | 1 | — |
| Woodruff County | 5,710 | ▲ 18.7% | 122 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, First Electric Coop Corp, Woodruff Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monroe County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Francis County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,737 jobs in 2025 against 2,029 in 2019 (-14.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.