Rankin County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pearl, Brandon and Flowood
Rankin 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. Rankin County is home to Pearl, Brandon, Flowood and Richland. Construction employs 4,984, up 27.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Madison County has 7 data centers and 819 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,128, up 17.6% since 2019 against up 33.2% statewide, at an average $73,328 a year.
Cities and towns in Rankin County
Rankin County is home to Pearl, Brandon, Flowood and Richland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cleary, Robinhood.
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 Rankin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 157,155 | 162,181 | ▲ 3.2% | 4th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 63,532 | 67,431 | ▲ 6.1% | 20th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,696 | $54,540 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,912 | 4,984 | ▲ 27.4% | 18th of 45 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 959 | 1,128 | ▲ 17.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4 | 11 | ▲ 175.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 2.4% | ▼ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 67,431 jobs in 2025, up 6.1% from 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Rankin County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.21¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities. 162,181 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020, 4th of 82 Mississippi counties by population.
Who powers Rankin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rankin 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% |
| Central Electric Power Assn - (MS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,905 | 12.22¢ | 29% |
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 | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lineage MS | Madison Energy Holdings LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Rankin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 67,431 | $54,540 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,984 | $71,938 | 1.40 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,128 | $73,328 | 2.32 |
| Electric utilities | 78 | $98,298 | 0.43 |
| Data processing and hosting | 11 | $60,916 | 0.05 |
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 Rankin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rankin County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Rankin County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Rankin County, Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rankin County | 162,181 | ▲ 6.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Copiah County | 27,497 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Hinds County | 211,888 | ▼ 8.6% | 605 MW | 150 MW | 3 | — |
| Madison County | 116,298 | ▲ 7.1% | 100 MW | 819 MW | 7 | — |
| Scott County | 28,073 | ▲ 2.7% | 175 MW | — | — | — |
| Simpson County | 25,498 | ▼ 2.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Smith County | 13,991 | ▼ 1.3% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Rankin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rankin County, Mississippi?
3 utilities have service territory in Rankin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, Central Electric Power Assn - (MS). The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pearl, MS in?
Pearl is in Rankin County, Mississippi. About 28,864 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Brandon, MS in?
Brandon is in Rankin County, Mississippi. About 26,122 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Flowood, MS in?
Flowood is in Rankin County, Mississippi. About 11,003 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Rankin County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Lineage MS (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Rankin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rankin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Madison County.
Is Rankin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 67,431 jobs in 2025 against 63,532 in 2019 (+6.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,912 to 4,984.
Does Rankin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rankin County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.