White County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Searcy, Beebe and Bald Knob
White County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 401, up 371.8% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $55,074 a year. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in White County, 8% of Arkansas's total. Construction employs 1,526, up 46.0% since 2019. White County is home to Searcy, Beebe, Bald Knob and Judsonia. Employers here counted 26,591 jobs in 2025, up 11.2% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 75 Arkansas counties).
Cities and towns in White County
White County is home to Searcy, Beebe, Bald Knob and Judsonia.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): El Paso, Floyd.
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 White County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 76,854 | 80,085 | ▲ 4.2% | 9th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,914 | 26,591 | ▲ 11.2% | 8th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,262 | $47,487 | ▲ 24.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,045 | 1,526 | ▲ 46.0% | 6th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 85 | 401 | ▲ 371.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 209 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
209 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 209 MW of capacity, 95% of it solar. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving White County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 80,085 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020, 9th of 75 Arkansas counties by population.
Who powers White County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +209 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in White 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% |
| First Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 95,175 | 12.27¢ | 11% |
| Farmers Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 199 MW | 95% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searcy Solar Hybrid | Searcy Solar, LLC | Battery storage | 110 MW | 2022 |
| Happy Solar 1 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 95 MW | 2023 |
| Searcy Water II | Entegrity Solar SWU 2, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Searcy Water I | Entegrity Solar SWU, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The White County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,591 | $47,487 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,526 | $55,840 | 1.08 |
| Electrical contractors | 401 | $55,074 | 2.09 |
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 White County
1 data center in White County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
White County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border White County, Independence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White County | 80,085 | ▲ 11.2% | 209 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Cleburne County | 25,672 | ▲ 2.9% | 96 MW | — | — | — |
| Faulkner County | 133,979 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Independence County | 38,785 | ▲ 9.6% | 1,808 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County | 16,741 | ▼ 1.3% | 184 MW | — | — | — |
| Lonoke County | 76,664 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Prairie County | 7,923 | ▼ 1.9% | — | 10 MW | — | — |
| Woodruff County | 5,710 | ▲ 18.7% | 122 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
White County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in White County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in White County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, First Electric Coop Corp, Farmers Electric Coop Corp - (AR). The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Searcy, AR in?
Searcy is in White County, Arkansas. About 24,351 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in White County?
4 operating plants with 209 MW of capacity. The largest is Searcy Solar Hybrid (110 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in White County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in White County.
Is White County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,591 jobs in 2025 against 23,914 in 2019 (+11.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,045 to 1,526.
Does White County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for White County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.