Sebastian County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Smith, Greenwood and Barling
No data center or power plant project is on record in Sebastian County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Sebastian County is home to Fort Smith, Greenwood, Barling and Lavaca. Next door, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, has 400 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 2,760, up 14.8% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 264, up 11.4% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $54,138 a year. Employers here counted 67,700 jobs in 2025, up 4.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Sebastian County
Sebastian County is home to Fort Smith, Greenwood, Barling and Lavaca.
- Mansfield also extends into Scott County.
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 Sebastian County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 127,807 | 130,641 | ▲ 2.2% | 6th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 64,509 | 67,700 | ▲ 4.9% | 20th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,186 | $55,769 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,405 | 2,760 | ▲ 14.8% | 21st of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 237 | 264 | ▲ 11.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Sebastian 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. 130,641 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020, 6th of 75 Arkansas counties by population.
Who powers Sebastian County
Utilities with service territory in Sebastian 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% |
| 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 Sebastian County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sebastian County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 67,700 | $55,769 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,760 | $58,805 | 0.77 |
| Electrical contractors | 264 | $54,138 | 0.54 |
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 Sebastian County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sebastian County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Sebastian County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Sebastian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian County | 130,641 | ▲ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 62,657 | ▼ 9.3% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 17,725 | ▲ 2.5% | 362 MW | 69 MW | — | — |
| Le Flore County OK | 50,196 | ▼ 3.9% | 350 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Logan County | 21,633 | ▼ 1.2% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 9,965 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Sequoyah County OK | 40,842 | ▼ 0.9% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Sebastian County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sebastian County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Sebastian County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp. The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 11.53¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fort Smith, AR in?
Fort Smith is in Sebastian County, Arkansas. About 90,855 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Sebastian County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sebastian County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Le Flore County.
Is Sebastian County adding jobs?
Employers counted 67,700 jobs in 2025 against 64,509 in 2019 (+4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,405 to 2,760.
Does Sebastian County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sebastian County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.