DeSoto County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Southaven, Olive Branch and Horn Lake
DeSoto County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. DeSoto County is home to Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake and Hernando. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including xAI Southaven Data Center & Gas Turbine Plant (noise/class action). Construction employs 2,762, up 31.7% since 2019. 195 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Entergy Mississippi LLC (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among Mississippi's counties. Employers here counted 73,213 jobs in 2025, up 14.6% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 82 Mississippi counties).
Cities and towns in DeSoto County
DeSoto County is home to Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake and Hernando.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bridgetown, Eudora, Lakeview, Lynchburg, Pleasant Hill.
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 DeSoto County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 186,120 | 197,918 | ▲ 6.3% | 3rd of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 63,889 | 73,213 | ▲ 14.6% | 5th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,173 | $47,958 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,097 | 2,762 | ▲ 31.7% | 16th of 45 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 413 | 472 | ▲ 14.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.2% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 195 MW | 19% of today's fleet | 5th of 14 by size |
Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 472, up 14.3% since 2019 against up 33.2% statewide, at an average $75,169 a year. Its power plants have 1,004 MW of capacity, 90% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Mississippi. 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving DeSoto 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. 197,918 people live here, up 6.3% since 2020, 3rd of 82 Mississippi counties by population.
Who powers DeSoto County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in DeSoto 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% |
| Northcentral Mississippi E P A | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,136 | 12.52¢ | 42% |
| 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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 904 MW | 90% |
| Solar | 100 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TVA Southaven Combined Cycle | Tennessee Valley Authority | Natural gas | 904 MW | 2003 |
| Wildflower Solar, LLC (MS) | Deriva Energy | Solar | 100 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penton Solar Plant | Solar Photovoltaic | 190 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Entergy Mississippi LLC |
| Arkabutla Lake Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Arkabutla Lake Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
The DeSoto County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 73,213 | $47,958 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,762 | $72,286 | 0.71 |
| Electrical contractors | 472 | $75,169 | 0.89 |
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 DeSoto County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xAI Southaven Data Center & Gas Turbine Plant (noise/class action) | active litigation | — |
DeSoto County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border DeSoto County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County | 197,918 | ▲ 14.6% | 1,004 MW | 195 MW | — | — |
| Crittenden County AR | 46,210 | ▲ 9.5% | 360 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Marshall County | 34,654 | ▲ 52.9% | 10 MW | 55 MW | — | — |
| Shelby County TN | 910,226 | ▼ 6.3% | 1,571 MW | 16 MW | 16 | — |
| Tate County | 28,725 | ▲ 19.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Tunica County | 8,819 | ▼ 26.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
DeSoto County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in DeSoto County, Mississippi?
3 utilities have service territory in DeSoto County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Northcentral Mississippi E P A, Coahoma Electric Power Assn. The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Southaven, MS in?
Southaven is in DeSoto County, Mississippi. About 57,819 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Olive Branch, MS in?
Olive Branch is in DeSoto County, Mississippi. About 47,563 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Horn Lake, MS in?
Horn Lake is in DeSoto County, Mississippi. About 26,741 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in DeSoto County?
2 operating plants with 1,004 MW of capacity. The largest is TVA Southaven Combined Cycle (904 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in DeSoto County?
195 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Entergy Mississippi LLC.
Are there data centers in DeSoto County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in DeSoto County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shelby County.
Is DeSoto County adding jobs?
Employers counted 73,213 jobs in 2025 against 63,889 in 2019 (+14.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,097 to 2,762.
Does DeSoto County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for DeSoto County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.