Forrest County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hattiesburg and Petal
Forrest 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. Forrest County is home to most of Hattiesburg (41,991 of its 48,802 residents) and Petal. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 443, up 20.7% since 2019 against up 33.2% statewide, at an average $82,915 a year. Employers here counted 38,996 jobs in 2025, down 3.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 50 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Forrest County
Forrest County is home to most of Hattiesburg (41,991 of its 48,802 residents) and Petal.
- Hattiesburg also extends into Lamar County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eastabuchie, Glendale, Rawls Springs.
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 Forrest County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 78,198 | 79,034 | ▲ 1.1% | 8th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40,559 | 38,996 | ▼ 3.9% | 53rd of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,908 | $54,252 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 367 | 443 | ▲ 20.7% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 385 | 453 | ▲ 17.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 3.0% | ▼ 2.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Mississippi Power Co is the largest utility serving Forrest County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities. 79,034 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020, 8th of 82 Mississippi counties by population.
Who powers Forrest County
Utilities with service territory in Forrest County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 157,437 | 14.47¢ | 30% |
| Southern Pine Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 65,176 | 14.01¢ | 17% |
| Pearl River Valley El Pwr Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 52,077 | 14.25¢ | 18% |
| Dixie Electric Power Assn - (MS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 37,803 | 13.44¢ | 24% |
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 | 50 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hattiesburg Solar Farm | Hattiesburg Farm, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2017 |
The Forrest County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 38,996 | $54,252 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 443 | $82,915 | 1.58 |
| Electric utilities | 453 | $116,351 | 4.29 |
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 Forrest County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Forrest County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Forrest County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Forrest County, Lamar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forrest County | 79,034 | ▼ 3.9% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Covington County | 17,898 | ▲ 0.9% | — | 96 MW | — | — |
| Jones County | 66,496 | ▲ 2.9% | 510 MW | — | — | — |
| Lamar County | 67,403 | ▲ 7.7% | 662 MW | — | — | — |
| Pearl River County | 59,363 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 11,577 | ▲ 0.3% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Stone County | 19,654 | ▲ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Forrest County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Forrest County, Mississippi?
4 utilities have service territory in Forrest County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mississippi Power Co, Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, Pearl River Valley El Pwr Assn, Dixie Electric Power Assn - (MS). The largest, Mississippi Power Co, charged residential customers 14.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hattiesburg, MS in?
Most of Hattiesburg is in Forrest County: 41,991 of its 48,802 residents, or 86%. The rest of the city lies in Lamar County.
What county is Petal, MS in?
Petal is in Forrest County, Mississippi. About 11,694 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Forrest County?
1 operating plant with 50 MW of capacity. The largest is Hattiesburg Solar Farm (50 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Forrest County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Forrest County.
Is Forrest County adding jobs?
Employers counted 38,996 jobs in 2025 against 40,559 in 2019 (-3.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Forrest County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Forrest County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.