Newton County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Deer and Mount Judea
Newton 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. Newton County is home to Jasper. Next door, Johnson County has 4 data centers. Employers here counted 1,032 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Newton County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Newton County
Newton County is home to Jasper.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Deer, Mount Judea, Ponca, Wayton.
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 Newton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,193 | 7,026 | ▼ 2.3% | 70th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,054 | 1,032 | ▼ 2.1% | 45th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $28,218 | $37,582 | ▲ 33.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
7,026 people live here, down 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Newton County
Utilities with service territory in Newton 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% |
| Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 101,154 | 12.25¢ | 21% |
| Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 54,372 | 13.33¢ | 16% |
| Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,776 | 15.62¢ | 23% |
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 Newton County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Newton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,032 | $37,582 | 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 Newton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Newton County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Carroll County, Madison County.
Newton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Newton County, Pope 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County | 7,026 | ▼ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 38,628 | ▼ 0.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 29,263 | ▼ 1.2% | 114 MW | 183 MW | — | 1 |
| Johnson County | 26,225 | ▼ 6.8% | 17 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Madison County | 18,410 | ▲ 6.7% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pope County | 64,976 | ▲ 3.6% | 2,006 MW | — | — | — |
| Searcy County | 7,848 | ▼ 2.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Newton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Newton County, Arkansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Newton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR), Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp, Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Newton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Newton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Johnson County.
Is Newton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,032 jobs in 2025 against 1,054 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Newton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Newton County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.