Pulaski County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Little Rock, North Little Rock and Sherwood
Pulaski County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Pulaski County, 15% of Arkansas's total. Pulaski County is home to Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood and Jacksonville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (0 in force); the latest is “Data center moratorium (failed)”. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including AVAIO Data Center Project (Pulaski County). 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by City of Little Rock - (AR) (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Pulaski County
Pulaski County is home to Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood and Jacksonville.
- Alexander also extends into Saline County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): College Station, Gibson, Hensley, Landmark, McAlmont, Natural Steps, Roland, Scott, Sweet Home, Woodson.
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 Pulaski County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 399,252 | 404,611 | ▲ 1.3% | 1st of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 251,743 | 262,676 | ▲ 4.3% | 21st of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,939 | $65,672 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,342 | 11,018 | ▲ 17.9% | 18th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,275 | 1,767 | ▲ 38.6% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 527 | 656 | ▲ 24.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,823 | 1,986 | ▲ 8.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 292 | 338 | ▲ 15.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 12th of 14 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 1,767, up 38.6% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $69,817 a year. Construction employs 11,018, up 17.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 664 MW of capacity, 91% of it natural gas, the 8th largest fleet in Arkansas. 13 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 262,676 jobs in 2025, up 4.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Pulaski 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. 404,611 people live here, up 1.3% since 2020, 1st of 75 Arkansas counties by population.
Who powers Pulaski County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +13 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pulaski 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% |
| City of North Little Rock - (AR) | Municipal | Bundled | 34,984 | 12.23¢ | 22% |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 601 MW | 91% |
| Hydro | 45 MW | 7% |
| Solar | 13 MW | 2% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry L. Oswald | Arkansas Electric Coop Corp | Natural gas | 600 MW | 2002 |
| Murray | City of North Little Rock - (AR) | Hydro | 45 MW | 1988 |
| NLRED 5MW | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Two Pine Landfill Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2006 |
| Zeuber | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
| NLRED 2MW | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Little Rock Solar Array | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | City of Little Rock - (AR) |
The Pulaski County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 262,676 | $65,672 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 11,018 | $74,198 | 0.79 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,767 | $69,817 | 0.93 |
| Power and communication line construction | 656 | $84,472 | 1.55 |
| Electric utilities | 1,986 | $140,180 | 2.79 |
| Data processing and hosting | 338 | $109,620 | 0.41 |
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 Pulaski County
2 data centers in Pulaski County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data center moratorium (failed) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-08 | |
| Pulaski County Quorum Court (data center moratorium ordinance, failed on clerk miscount), AR data center moratorium (failed) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-05 |
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVAIO Data Center Project (Pulaski County) | moratorium exemption rejected | — | ||
| AVAIO Digital Pulaski County Quorum Court (data center moratorium ordinance, failed on clerk miscount), AR | denied | — |
Pulaski County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pulaski 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County | 404,611 | ▲ 4.3% | 664 MW | 5 MW | 2 | 2 |
| Faulkner County | 133,979 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 18,756 | ▲ 8.6% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 62,987 | ▼ 8.0% | 2,115 MW | 1,996 MW | — | — |
| Lonoke County | 76,664 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 10,309 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Saline County | 133,288 | ▲ 15.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Pulaski County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pulaski County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Pulaski County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, First Electric Coop Corp, City of North Little Rock - (AR). The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Little Rock, AR in?
Little Rock is in Pulaski County, Arkansas. About 206,427 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is North Little Rock, AR in?
North Little Rock is in Pulaski County, Arkansas. About 65,120 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Sherwood, AR in?
Sherwood is in Pulaski County, Arkansas. About 33,620 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pulaski County?
8 operating plants with 664 MW of capacity. The largest is Harry L. Oswald (600 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Pulaski County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is City of Little Rock - (AR).
Are there data centers in Pulaski County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Pulaski County.
Is Pulaski County adding jobs?
Employers counted 262,676 jobs in 2025 against 251,743 in 2019 (+4.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 9,342 to 11,018.
Does Pulaski County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Pulaski County, 0 in force.