St. Francis County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Forrest City
The data center boom is not abstract in St. Francis County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in St. Francis County, 8% of Arkansas's total. St. Francis County is home to Forrest City, Hughes and Madison. 455 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Chalk Bluff Solar Energy LLC (solar), the 4th largest pipeline among Arkansas's counties. 450 MW of it is already under construction or built. 203 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 6,705 jobs in 2025, down 7.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in St. Francis County
St. Francis County is home to Forrest City, Hughes and Madison.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Goodwin.
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 St. Francis County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,019 | 21,800 | ▼ 5.3% | 28th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,236 | 6,705 | ▼ 7.3% | 57th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,056 | $49,729 | ▲ 30.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 36 | 36 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 5.1% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 203 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 455 MW | 224% of today's fleet | 4th of 14 by size |
Its power plants have 203 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 36, unchanged since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $63,593 a year. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving St. Francis County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 21,800 people live here, down 5.3% since 2020. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019.
Who powers St. Francis County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +203 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in St. Francis 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% |
| Woodruff Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,125 | 11.40¢ | 34% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 203 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Fork Solar | Flat Fork Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Forrest City- Eldridge Road | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
| Forrest City- Prison Site | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
| Woodruff Electric Cooperative | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalk Bluff Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 450 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Chalk Bluff Solar Energy LLC |
| SR Forrest City | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Forrest City, LLC |
The St. Francis County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,705 | $49,729 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 207 | $58,973 | 0.58 |
| Electrical contractors | 36 | $63,593 | 0.74 |
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 St. Francis County
1 data center in St. Francis County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
St. Francis County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border St. Francis County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis County | 21,800 | ▼ 7.3% | 203 MW | 455 MW | 1 | — |
| Crittenden County | 46,210 | ▲ 9.5% | 360 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Cross County | 16,186 | ▼ 1.8% | 414 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Lee County | 8,029 | ▼ 15.7% | 100 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Monroe County | 6,244 | ▼ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Woodruff County | 5,710 | ▲ 18.7% | 122 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
St. Francis County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Francis County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in St. Francis County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Woodruff Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Forrest City, AR in?
Forrest City is in St. Francis County, Arkansas. About 12,308 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in St. Francis County?
4 operating plants with 203 MW of capacity. The largest is Flat Fork Solar (200 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in St. Francis County?
455 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 450 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Chalk Bluff Solar Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in St. Francis County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in St. Francis County.
Is St. Francis County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,705 jobs in 2025 against 7,236 in 2019 (-7.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does St. Francis County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for St. Francis County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.