# 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.

1
data centers on the SAVRN Data Center Map, 8% of Arkansas's

+11.2%
total jobs since 2019, now 122,001

+15.0%
electrical contractor jobs since 2019, now 1,682

## 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.

Fayetteville106,623 residents
Springdale78,235 residents · 86% of the city
Farmington10,658 residents
Prairie Grove8,998 residents
Tontitown8,046 residents
Elkins4,184 residents
Johnson3,684 residents
Goshen2,405 residents
West Fork2,373 residents
Lincoln2,370 residents
Elm Springs2,291 residents · 80% of the city
Greenland1,544 residents
Winslow362 residents
- Springdale also extends into [Benton County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/benton-county).
- Elm Springs also extends into [Benton County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/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

| 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

### 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 

| 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](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/oklahoma/adair-county) OK | 19,828 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Benton County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/benton-county) | 332,554 | ▲ 23.0% | 561 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Crawford County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/crawford-county) | 62,657 | ▼ 9.3% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/madison-county) | 18,410 | ▲ 6.7% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |

## More of Arkansas

[All Arkansas countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas)[Benton County332,554 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/benton-county)[Crawford County62,657 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/crawford-county)[Madison County18,410 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/madison-county)

## 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.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/arkansas/washington-county
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).