Union County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to El Dorado and Smackover
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Union County. Union County is home to El Dorado, Smackover and Norphlet. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Construction employs 1,243, down 19.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 2,430 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the largest fleet in Arkansas. Employers here counted 16,056 jobs in 2025, down 6.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Union County
Union County is home to El Dorado, Smackover and Norphlet.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lawson, Mount Holly, Urbana.
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 Union County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 38,942 | 36,926 | ▼ 5.2% | 21st of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,187 | 16,056 | ▼ 6.6% | 54th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,390 | $62,492 | ▲ 24.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,542 | 1,243 | ▼ 19.4% | 34th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 281 | 303 | ▲ 7.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 303, up 7.8% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $79,299 a year. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Union County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 36,926 people live here, down 5.2% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Who powers Union County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Union 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% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,428 MW | 100% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Power Station | Entergy Arkansas LLC | Natural gas | 2,428 MW | 2003 |
| El Dorado AR | Entegrity Solar El Dorado SD, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Union County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,056 | $62,492 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,243 | $78,217 | 1.46 |
| Electrical contractors | 303 | $79,299 | 2.62 |
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 Union County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Union County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Union County, Morehouse Parish 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 36,926 | ▼ 6.6% | 2,430 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ashley County | 17,831 | ▼ 8.0% | 236 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
| Bradley County | 9,828 | ▼ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 4,632 | ▲ 9.7% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Claiborne Parish LA | 13,354 | ▼ 15.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 21,894 | ▼ 1.7% | — | 100 MW | — | — |
| Morehouse Parish LA | 23,705 | ▼ 4.0% | 98 MW | 212 MW | — | — |
| Ouachita County | 21,731 | ▲ 0.3% | 144 MW | — | — | — |
| Union Parish LA | 20,561 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Union County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Union County, Arkansas?
1 utility has service territory in Union County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is El Dorado, AR in?
El Dorado is in Union County, Arkansas. About 16,609 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Union County?
2 operating plants with 2,430 MW of capacity. The largest is Union Power Station (2,428 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Union County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Union County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morehouse Parish.
Is Union County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,056 jobs in 2025 against 17,187 in 2019 (-6.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,542 to 1,243.
Does Union County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Union County, 1 in force.