Chickasaw County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Houston and Okolona
Chickasaw 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. Chickasaw County is home to Houston, Okolona and New Houlka. Employers here counted 4,330 jobs in 2025, down 17.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Construction employs 134, up 2.3% since 2019. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 66% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Chickasaw County
Chickasaw County is home to Houston, Okolona and New Houlka.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Van Vleet.
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 Chickasaw County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,081 | 16,730 | ▼ 2.1% | 53rd of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,248 | 4,330 | ▼ 17.5% | 79th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,458 | $39,463 | ▲ 11.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 131 | 134 | ▲ 2.3% | 31st of 45 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 4.2% | ▼ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Natchez Trace Elec Power Assn is the largest utility serving Chickasaw County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.80¢/kWh in 2024. 16,730 people live here, down 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Chickasaw County
Utilities with service territory in Chickasaw County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natchez Trace Elec Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,611 | 12.80¢ | 35% |
| City of Okolona | Municipal | Bundled | 4,289 | 12.82¢ | 31% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 3 MW | 66% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 34% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Houston | SR Houston Holdings, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2016 |
| Prairie Bluff | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2012 |
The Chickasaw County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,330 | $39,463 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 134 | $49,988 | 0.58 |
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 Chickasaw County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chickasaw County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Chickasaw County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Chickasaw County, Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickasaw County | 16,730 | ▼ 17.5% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 12,643 | ▼ 9.4% | — | 160 MW | — | — |
| Clay County | 18,238 | ▲ 21.4% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Lee County | 83,731 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 33,318 | ▼ 6.7% | — | 160 MW | — | — |
| Pontotoc County | 32,096 | ▼ 10.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 10,167 | ▲ 4.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Chickasaw County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chickasaw County, Mississippi?
2 utilities have service territory in Chickasaw County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Natchez Trace Elec Power Assn, City of Okolona. The largest, Natchez Trace Elec Power Assn, charged residential customers 12.80¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chickasaw County?
2 operating plants with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Houston (3 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Chickasaw County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chickasaw County.
Is Chickasaw County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,330 jobs in 2025 against 5,248 in 2019 (-17.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 131 to 134.
Does Chickasaw County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chickasaw County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.