Lawrence County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Monticello
No data center or power plant project is on record in Lawrence County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 6.9% in 2019. Lawrence County is home to Monticello. Employers here counted 2,712 jobs in 2025, up 13.5% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 82 Mississippi counties). Its power plants have 82 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Lawrence County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.21¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities.
Cities and towns in Lawrence County
Lawrence County is home to Monticello.
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 Lawrence County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,987 | 11,819 | ▼ 1.4% | 63rd of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,389 | 2,712 | ▲ 13.5% | 6th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,731 | $58,000 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.9% | 3.2% | ▼ 3.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
11,819 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Lawrence County
Utilities with service territory in Lawrence 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% |
| Southern Pine Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 65,176 | 14.01¢ | 17% |
| Pearl River Valley El Pwr Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 52,077 | 14.25¢ | 18% |
| Magnolia Electric Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,070 | 15.00¢ | 15% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 82 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia-Pacific Monticello Paper | Georgia-Pacific Monticello LLC | Other technologies | 82 MW | 1968 |
The Lawrence County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,712 | $58,000 | 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 Lawrence County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lawrence County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Lawrence County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lawrence County, Jefferson Davis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 11,819 | ▲ 13.5% | 82 MW | — | — | — |
| Copiah County | 27,497 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson Davis County | 10,941 | ▲ 37.6% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 35,012 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 24,001 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Simpson County | 25,498 | ▼ 2.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Walthall County | 13,928 | ▼ 0.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Lawrence County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lawrence County, Mississippi?
4 utilities have service territory in Lawrence County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, Pearl River Valley El Pwr Assn, Magnolia Electric Power Assn. The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lawrence County?
1 operating plant with 82 MW of capacity. The largest is Georgia-Pacific Monticello Paper (82 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Lawrence County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lawrence County.
Is Lawrence County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,712 jobs in 2025 against 2,389 in 2019 (+13.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lawrence County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lawrence County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.