Washington County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fayetteville, Springdale and Farmington
Washington County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Washington County, 8% of Arkansas's total. Washington County is home to Fayetteville, most of Springdale (78,235 of its 90,685 residents), Farmington and Prairie Grove. Construction employs 8,198, up 35.3% since 2019. Employers here counted 122,001 jobs in 2025, up 11.2% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 75 Arkansas counties). Electrical contractors employ 1,682, up 15.0% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $67,728 a year.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to Fayetteville, most of Springdale (78,235 of its 90,685 residents), Farmington and Prairie Grove.
- Springdale also extends into Benton County.
- Elm Springs also extends into Benton County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Canehill, Cincinnati, Evansville, Morrow, Summers.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 246,756 | 271,213 | ▲ 9.9% | 3rd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 109,670 | 122,001 | ▲ 11.2% | 7th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,596 | $61,051 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,058 | 8,198 | ▲ 35.3% | 8th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,462 | 1,682 | ▲ 15.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 133 | 110 | ▼ 17.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 28 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
28 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 454 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas, the 10th largest fleet in Arkansas. 271,213 people live here, up 9.9% since 2020, 3rd of 75 Arkansas counties by population. Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.53¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +28 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington 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% |
| Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 101,154 | 12.25¢ | 21% |
| Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 72,076 | 13.03¢ | 25% |
| 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.
Operating power plants 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 421 MW | 93% |
| Solar | 17 MW | 4% |
| Battery storage | 12 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry D Mattison Gas Plant | Southwestern Electric Power Co | Natural gas | 349 MW | 2007 |
| Elkins Generating Center | Arkansas Electric Coop Corp | Natural gas | 66 MW | 2010 |
| Noland Wastewater Treatment Plant Hybrid | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 11 MW | 2019 |
| Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant Hybr | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 11 MW | 2019 |
| UA Central Utility Plant | University Of Arkansas | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2016 |
| Waste Management Eco Vista LFGTE | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2010 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 122,001 | $61,051 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,198 | $73,290 | 1.27 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,682 | $67,728 | 1.91 |
| Power and communication line construction | 110 | $72,727 | 0.56 |
| Data processing and hosting | 143 | $131,402 | 0.38 |
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 Washington County
1 data center in Washington County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Washington County, Benton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 271,213 | ▲ 11.2% | 454 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Adair County OK | 19,828 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 332,554 | ▲ 23.0% | 561 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Crawford County | 62,657 | ▼ 9.3% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 18,410 | ▲ 6.7% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Arkansas
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Arkansas?
5 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Carroll Electric Coop Corp - (AR), Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR), Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 11.53¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fayetteville, AR in?
Fayetteville is in Washington County, Arkansas. About 106,623 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Springdale, AR in?
Most of Springdale is in Washington County: 78,235 of its 90,685 residents, or 86%. The rest of the city lies in Benton County.
What county is Farmington, AR in?
Farmington is in Washington County, Arkansas. About 10,658 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Washington County?
10 operating plants with 454 MW of capacity. The largest is Harry D Mattison Gas Plant (349 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Washington County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 122,001 jobs in 2025 against 109,670 in 2019 (+11.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,058 to 8,198.
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Washington County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.