Sevier County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to De Queen
No data center or power plant project is on record in Sevier County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Sevier County is home to De Queen, Horatio and Lockesburg. Employers here counted 4,936 jobs in 2025, up 3.8% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 3, at an average $23,330 a year. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Sevier 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.
Cities and towns in Sevier County
Sevier County is home to De Queen, Horatio and Lockesburg.
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 Sevier County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,778 | 15,758 | ▼ 0.1% | 49th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,756 | 4,936 | ▲ 3.8% | 22nd of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,020 | $45,097 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
15,758 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Sevier County
Utilities with service territory in Sevier 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.
No operating power plant is located in Sevier County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sevier County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,936 | $45,097 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 213 | $62,102 | 0.81 |
| Electrical contractors | 3 | $23,330 | 0.08 |
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 Sevier County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sevier County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Sevier County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Sevier County, McCurtain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevier County | 15,758 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 12,306 | ▼ 13.8% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Little River County | 11,763 | ▼ 11.7% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| McCurtain County OK | 30,744 | ▲ 11.5% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 19,486 | ▼ 2.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Sevier County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sevier County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Sevier 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.
Are there data centers in Sevier County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sevier County.
Is Sevier County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,936 jobs in 2025 against 4,756 in 2019 (+3.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Sevier County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sevier County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.