Van Buren County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clinton and Fairfield Bay
No data center or power plant project is on record in Van Buren County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Van Buren County is home to Clinton and most of Fairfield Bay (2,028 of its 2,198 residents). Construction employs 141, up 14.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 3,705 jobs in 2025, up 8.6% from 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Van Buren County
Van Buren County is home to Clinton and most of Fairfield Bay (2,028 of its 2,198 residents).
- Fairfield Bay also extends into Cleburne County.
- Damascus also extends into Faulkner County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bee Branch, Dennard.
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 Van Buren County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,803 | 16,238 | ▲ 2.8% | 46th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,412 | 3,705 | ▲ 8.6% | 16th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,083 | $45,691 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 123 | 141 | ▲ 14.6% | 22nd of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.7% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Van Buren 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. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. 16,238 people live here, up 2.8% since 2020.
Who powers Van Buren County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Van Buren 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% |
| Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,776 | 15.62¢ | 23% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Jean | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Van Buren County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,705 | $45,691 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 141 | $40,275 | 0.72 |
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 Van Buren County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Van Buren County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Van Buren County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Van Buren County, Pope 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 16,238 | ▲ 8.6% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Cleburne County | 25,672 | ▲ 2.9% | 96 MW | — | — | — |
| Conway County | 21,393 | ▼ 2.8% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Faulkner County | 133,979 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Pope County | 64,976 | ▲ 3.6% | 2,006 MW | — | — | — |
| Searcy County | 7,848 | ▼ 2.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Stone County | 12,703 | ▲ 0.1% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Van Buren County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Van Buren County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Van Buren County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Petit Jean Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Van Buren County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Petit Jean (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Van Buren County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Van Buren County.
Is Van Buren County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,705 jobs in 2025 against 3,412 in 2019 (+8.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 123 to 141.
Does Van Buren County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Van Buren County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.