Bolivar County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cleveland, Shelby and Rosedale
Bolivar County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 7.6% in 2019. Bolivar County is home to Cleveland, Shelby, Rosedale and Mound Bayou. Next door, Washington County has 1,019 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 288, down 0.3% since 2019. Employers here counted 10,505 jobs in 2025, down 3.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bolivar County
Bolivar County is home to Cleveland, Shelby, Rosedale and Mound Bayou.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bolivar, Scott, Skene, Symonds.
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 Bolivar County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,838 | 28,262 | ▼ 8.4% | 30th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,855 | 10,505 | ▼ 3.2% | 52nd of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,672 | $44,558 | ▲ 21.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 289 | 288 | ▼ 0.3% | 34th of 45 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.6% | 4.3% | ▼ 3.3pts | — |
28,262 people live here, down 8.4% since 2020. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Bolivar County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.21¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities.
Who powers Bolivar County
Utilities with service territory in Bolivar County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Mississippi LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 384,611 | 13.21¢ | 39% |
| Delta Electric Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,460 | 13.75¢ | 8% |
| Coahoma Electric Power Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Bolivar County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Bolivar County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,505 | $44,558 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 288 | $52,866 | 0.52 |
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 Bolivar County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bolivar County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Bolivar County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bolivar County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivar County | 28,262 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Chicot County AR | 9,107 | ▼ 10.4% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Coahoma County | 19,849 | ▼ 20.0% | 546 MW | — | — | — |
| Desha County AR | 9,984 | ▼ 15.2% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Phillips County AR | 14,255 | ▼ 18.8% | 200 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Sunflower County | 22,893 | ● 0.0% | 199 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 40,446 | ▼ 10.8% | 781 MW | 1,019 MW | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Bolivar County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bolivar County, Mississippi?
3 utilities have service territory in Bolivar County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Delta Electric Power Assn, Coahoma Electric Power Assn. The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cleveland, MS in?
Cleveland is in Bolivar County, Mississippi. About 10,138 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Bolivar County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bolivar County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Bolivar County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,505 jobs in 2025 against 10,855 in 2019 (-3.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 289 to 288.
Does Bolivar County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bolivar County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.