Lamar County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hattiesburg, Sumrall and Purvis
Lamar 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. Lamar County is home to part of Hattiesburg (6,811 of its 48,802 residents), Sumrall, Purvis and Lumberton. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. 558 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 20,964 jobs in 2025, up 7.7% from 2019. Construction employs 913, down 3.4% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Lamar County
Lamar County is home to part of Hattiesburg (6,811 of its 48,802 residents), Sumrall, Purvis and Lumberton.
- Hattiesburg also extends into Forrest County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arnold Line, Baxterville, Oak Grove, West Hattiesburg.
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 Lamar County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 64,391 | 67,403 | ▲ 4.7% | 10th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,467 | 20,964 | ▲ 7.7% | 13th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,247 | $44,605 | ▲ 34.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 945 | 913 | ▼ 3.4% | 37th of 45 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 124 | 117 | ▼ 5.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 2.8% | ▼ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 558 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 662 MW of capacity, 84% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 89, at an average $50,624 a year. Mississippi Power Co is the largest utility serving Lamar County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities. 67,403 people live here, up 4.7% since 2020, 10th of 82 Mississippi counties by population.
Who powers Lamar County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +558 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lamar 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% |
| Pearl River Valley El Pwr Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 52,077 | 14.25¢ | 18% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 558 MW | 84% |
| Solar | 104 MW | 16% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R D Morrow | Cooperative Energy | Natural gas | 558 MW | 2023 |
| Sumrall I Solar Farm | MS Solar 2, LLC | Solar | 52 MW | 2017 |
| Sumrall II Solar Farm | Onward Energy | Solar | 52 MW | 2017 |
The Lamar County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,964 | $44,605 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 913 | $60,551 | 0.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 89 | $50,624 | 0.59 |
| Electric utilities | 117 | $110,132 | 2.06 |
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 Lamar County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lamar County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Lamar County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lamar County, Covington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar County | 67,403 | ▲ 7.7% | 662 MW | — | — | — |
| Covington County | 17,898 | ▲ 0.9% | — | 96 MW | — | — |
| Forrest County | 79,034 | ▼ 3.9% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson Davis County | 10,941 | ▲ 37.6% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 24,001 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Pearl River County | 59,363 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Lamar County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lamar County, Mississippi?
2 utilities have service territory in Lamar County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mississippi Power Co, Pearl River Valley El Pwr Assn. The largest, Mississippi Power Co, charged residential customers 14.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lamar County?
3 operating plants with 662 MW of capacity. The largest is R D Morrow (558 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Lamar County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lamar County.
Is Lamar County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,964 jobs in 2025 against 19,467 in 2019 (+7.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 945 to 913.
Does Lamar County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lamar County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.