Pearl River County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Picayune and Poplarville
Pearl River 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. Construction employs 653, up 63.2% since 2019. Pearl River County is home to Picayune and Poplarville. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019. Next door, Washington Parish, Louisiana, has 200 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 11,726 jobs in 2025, up 10.0% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 82 Mississippi counties).
Cities and towns in Pearl River County
Pearl River County is home to Picayune and Poplarville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hide-A-Way Lake, Nicholson.
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 Pearl River County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 56,205 | 59,363 | ▲ 5.6% | 13th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,657 | 11,726 | ▲ 10.0% | 10th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,904 | $42,628 | ▲ 25.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 400 | 653 | ▲ 63.2% | 8th of 45 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 3.1% | ▼ 2.4pts | — |
Mississippi Power Co is the largest utility serving Pearl River County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities. 59,363 people live here, up 5.6% since 2020.
Who powers Pearl River County
Utilities with service territory in Pearl River 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% |
| Coast Electric Power Assn - (MS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 82,510 | 13.81¢ | 23% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Pearl River County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Pearl River County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,726 | $42,628 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 653 | $65,087 | 1.05 |
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 Pearl River County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pearl River County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Pearl River County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Pearl River County, Washington Parish 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl River County | 59,363 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Forrest County | 79,034 | ▼ 3.9% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County | 46,873 | ▲ 6.5% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 217,136 | ▲ 4.0% | 923 MW | — | — | — |
| Lamar County | 67,403 | ▲ 7.7% | 662 MW | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 24,001 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Tammany Parish LA | 279,108 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Stone County | 19,654 | ▲ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington Parish LA | 44,937 | ▲ 5.2% | 599 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Pearl River County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pearl River County, Mississippi?
3 utilities have service territory in Pearl River County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mississippi Power Co, Coast Electric Power Assn - (MS), Pearl River Valley El Pwr Assn. The largest, Mississippi Power Co, charged residential customers 14.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Picayune, MS in?
Picayune is in Pearl River County, Mississippi. About 12,019 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Pearl River County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pearl River County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington Parish.
Is Pearl River County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,726 jobs in 2025 against 10,657 in 2019 (+10.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 400 to 653.
Does Pearl River County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pearl River County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.