Scott County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waldron
No data center or power plant project is on record in Scott County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Scott County is home to Waldron. Next door, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, has 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 2,980 jobs in 2025, down 1.6% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Scott 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 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is home to Waldron.
- Mansfield also extends into Sebastian County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Boles.
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 Scott County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,828 | 9,965 | ▲ 1.4% | 60th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,028 | 2,980 | ▼ 1.6% | 40th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,682 | $40,179 | ▲ 26.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
9,965 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Scott County
Utilities with service territory in Scott 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% |
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 58,218 | 11.49¢ | 31% |
| Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 54,372 | 13.33¢ | 16% |
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 Scott County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Scott County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,980 | $40,179 | 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 Scott County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scott County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Scott County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Scott 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 9,965 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Le Flore County OK | 50,196 | ▼ 3.9% | 350 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Logan County | 21,633 | ▼ 1.2% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 8,579 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 19,486 | ▼ 2.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Sebastian County | 130,641 | ▲ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Yell County | 19,956 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Scott County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scott County, Arkansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Scott County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Southwestern Electric Power Co, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Scott County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scott County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Le Flore County.
Is Scott County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,980 jobs in 2025 against 3,028 in 2019 (-1.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Scott County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scott County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.