Polk County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mena
No data center or power plant project is on record in Polk County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Polk County is home to Mena and Wickes. Next door, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, has 400 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 190, down 6.9% since 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Polk County
Polk County is home to Mena and Wickes.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Acorn, Board Camp.
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 Polk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,186 | 19,486 | ▲ 1.6% | 34th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,892 | 5,758 | ▼ 2.3% | 46th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,113 | $43,000 | ▲ 29.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 204 | 190 | ▼ 6.9% | 31st of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 36, at an average $41,398 a year. Employers here counted 5,758 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019. Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Polk County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.53¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 19,486 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Polk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Polk 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% |
| Rich Mountain Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Polk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,758 | $43,000 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 190 | $54,825 | 0.62 |
| Electrical contractors | 36 | $41,398 | 0.87 |
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 Polk County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Polk County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Polk County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Polk County, Le Flore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 19,486 | ▼ 2.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 12,306 | ▼ 13.8% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Le Flore County OK | 50,196 | ▼ 3.9% | 350 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| McCurtain County OK | 30,744 | ▲ 11.5% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 8,579 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Pike County | 9,964 | ▼ 6.5% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 9,965 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Sevier County | 15,758 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Polk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Polk County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Polk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Southwest Arkansas E C C, Rich Mountain Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 11.53¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Polk County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Polk County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Polk County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Le Flore County.
Is Polk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,758 jobs in 2025 against 5,892 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 204 to 190.
Does Polk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Polk County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.