Clay County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to West Point
Clay 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 4.1% in August 2026, against 7.7% in 2019. Clay County is home to West Point. Employers here counted 6,482 jobs in 2025, up 21.4% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 82 Mississippi counties). Next door, Lowndes County has 1 data center and 504 MW of planned generation. 250 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to West Point.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Pheba.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,620 | 18,238 | ▼ 2.1% | 49th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,341 | 6,482 | ▲ 21.4% | 3rd of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,499 | $48,187 | ▲ 28.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.7% | 4.1% | ▼ 3.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 250 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 250 MW of capacity, 80% of it solar. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Clay 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. 18,238 people live here, down 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Clay County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +250 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clay 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% |
| 4-County Electric Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 41,076 | 12.88¢ | 29% |
| City of West Point - (MS) | Municipal | Bundled | 2,978 | 12.23¢ | 35% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 200 MW | 80% |
| Battery storage | 50 MW | 20% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimist | Origis Energy USA, Inc | Battery storage | 250 MW | 2026 |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,482 | $48,187 | 1.00 |
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 Clay County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clay County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Clay County, Lowndes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 18,238 | ▲ 21.4% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Chickasaw County | 16,730 | ▼ 17.5% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Lowndes County | 57,346 | ▲ 2.7% | 1,380 MW | 504 MW | 1 | — |
| Monroe County | 33,318 | ▼ 6.7% | — | 160 MW | — | — |
| Oktibbeha County | 51,896 | ▲ 0.1% | 26 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Webster County | 10,167 | ▲ 4.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Mississippi?
3 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, 4-County Electric Power Assn, City of West Point - (MS). The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clay County?
1 operating plant with 250 MW of capacity. The largest is Optimist (250 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lowndes County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,482 jobs in 2025 against 5,341 in 2019 (+21.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.