Yell County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dardanelle and Danville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Yell County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Yell County is home to Dardanelle, Danville and Ola. Electrical contractors employ 56, up 16.7% since 2019 against up 29.6% statewide, at an average $51,709 a year. Construction employs 254, up 6.3% since 2019. Employers here counted 6,405 jobs in 2025, down 1.6% from 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Yell 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.
Cities and towns in Yell County
Yell County is home to Dardanelle, Danville and Ola.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Centerville, Rover.
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 Yell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,218 | 19,956 | ▼ 1.3% | 33rd of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,506 | 6,405 | ▼ 1.6% | 39th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,925 | $43,607 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 239 | 254 | ▲ 6.3% | 25th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 48 | 56 | ▲ 16.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 19,956 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Yell County
Utilities with service territory in Yell 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% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Yell County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Yell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,405 | $43,607 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 254 | $46,417 | 0.75 |
| Electrical contractors | 56 | $51,709 | 1.21 |
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 Yell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Yell County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Yell County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Yell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yell County | 19,956 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Conway County | 21,393 | ▼ 2.8% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Garland County | 99,695 | ▲ 2.0% | 132 MW | — | — | — |
| Logan County | 21,633 | ▼ 1.2% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 8,579 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 10,309 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Pope County | 64,976 | ▲ 3.6% | 2,006 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 9,965 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Yell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yell County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Yell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, First Electric Coop Corp, Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Yell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Yell County.
Is Yell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,405 jobs in 2025 against 6,506 in 2019 (-1.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 239 to 254.
Does Yell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Yell County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.