Pike County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Glenwood and Murfreesboro
Pike 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. Pike County is home to most of Glenwood (1,963 of its 2,016 residents) and Murfreesboro. Next door, Hempstead County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 2,453 jobs in 2025, down 6.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 26 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Pike County
Pike County is home to most of Glenwood (1,963 of its 2,016 residents) and Murfreesboro.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kirby, Newhope.
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 Pike County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,158 | 9,964 | ▼ 1.9% | 61st of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,623 | 2,453 | ▼ 6.5% | 53rd of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,144 | $42,735 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 51 | 59 | ▲ 15.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Pike 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. 9,964 people live here, down 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Pike County
Utilities with service territory in Pike 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% |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,102 | 11.53¢ | 37% |
| South Central Ark El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,410 | 14.70¢ | 12% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 26 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrows (AR) | USCE -Vickburg District | Hydro | 26 MW | 1950 |
The Pike County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,453 | $42,735 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 59 | $31,099 | 0.45 |
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 Pike County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pike County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Pike County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pike 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 9,964 | ▼ 6.5% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 20,938 | ▼ 6.3% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Hempstead County | 19,080 | ▼ 0.2% | 764 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Howard County | 12,306 | ▼ 13.8% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 8,579 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Nevada County | 7,942 | ▼ 21.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 19,486 | ▼ 2.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Pike County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pike County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Pike County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Southwestern Electric Power Co, South Central Ark El Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pike County?
1 operating plant with 26 MW of capacity. The largest is Narrows (AR) (26 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Pike County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pike County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hempstead County.
Is Pike County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,453 jobs in 2025 against 2,623 in 2019 (-6.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 51 to 59.
Does Pike County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pike County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.