Prentiss County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Booneville and Baldwyn
No data center or power plant project is on record in Prentiss County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Prentiss County is home to Booneville and most of Baldwyn (1,836 of its 3,104 residents). Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 57, up 42.5% since 2019 against up 33.2% statewide, at an average $66,550 a year. Construction employs 315, up 6.1% since 2019. Employers here counted 7,156 jobs in 2025, down 4.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Prentiss County
Prentiss County is home to Booneville and most of Baldwyn (1,836 of its 3,104 residents).
- Baldwyn also extends into Lee County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): New Site, Wheeler.
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 Prentiss County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,968 | 25,284 | ▲ 1.3% | 36th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,481 | 7,156 | ▼ 4.3% | 56th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,264 | $43,371 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 297 | 315 | ▲ 6.1% | 30th of 45 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40 | 57 | ▲ 42.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 3.1% | ▼ 2.3pts | — |
Tombigbee Electric Power Assn is the largest utility serving Prentiss County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.23¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities. 25,284 people live here, up 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Prentiss County
Utilities with service territory in Prentiss County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tombigbee Electric Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 37,296 | 12.23¢ | 29% |
| Prentiss County Elec Pwr Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,999 | 10.86¢ | 33% |
| Tishomingo County E P A | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,943 | 12.75¢ | 23% |
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 Prentiss County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Prentiss County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,156 | $43,371 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 315 | $52,176 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 57 | $66,550 | 1.10 |
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 Prentiss County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Prentiss County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Prentiss County and its neighbors
None of the 6 counties bordering Prentiss County has a data center, a power plant or planned generation on record.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prentiss County | 25,284 | ▼ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Alcorn County | 34,569 | ▼ 6.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Itawamba County | 24,152 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Lee County | 83,731 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Tippah County | 21,389 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Tishomingo County | 18,639 | ▼ 2.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County | 28,459 | ▲ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Prentiss County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Prentiss County, Mississippi?
3 utilities have service territory in Prentiss County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Tombigbee Electric Power Assn, Prentiss County Elec Pwr Assn, Tishomingo County E P A. The largest, Tombigbee Electric Power Assn, charged residential customers 12.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Prentiss County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Prentiss County.
Is Prentiss County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,156 jobs in 2025 against 7,481 in 2019 (-4.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 297 to 315.
Does Prentiss County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Prentiss County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.