Scott County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Forest and Morton
Scott 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. Scott County is home to Forest and Morton. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Next door, Madison County has 7 data centers and 819 MW of planned generation. 175 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 485, down 3.2% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is home to Forest and Morton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Harperville, Hillsboro.
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 Scott County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 27,968 | 28,073 | ▲ 0.4% | 31st of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,286 | 13,651 | ▲ 2.7% | 30th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,980 | $47,999 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 501 | 485 | ▼ 3.2% | 36th of 45 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 88 | 72 | ▼ 18.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 2.7% | ▼ 2.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 175 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 175 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 13,651 jobs in 2025, up 2.7% from 2019. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Scott 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. Electrical contractors employ 72, down 18.2% since 2019 against up 33.2% statewide, at an average $67,649 a year. 28,073 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Scott County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +175 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Scott 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% |
| Mississippi Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 157,437 | 14.47¢ | 30% |
| 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 | 175 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl River Solar Park LLC | Pearl River Solar Park, LLC | Solar | 175 MW | 2024 |
The Scott County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,651 | $47,999 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 485 | $62,779 | 0.67 |
| Electrical contractors | 72 | $67,649 | 0.73 |
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 Scott County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scott County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Scott County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Scott 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 28,073 | ▲ 2.7% | 175 MW | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 15,785 | ▼ 4.3% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
| Leake County | 21,662 | ▲ 5.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 116,298 | ▲ 7.1% | 100 MW | 819 MW | 7 | — |
| Newton County | 20,960 | ▼ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Rankin County | 162,181 | ▲ 6.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Smith County | 13,991 | ▼ 1.3% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Scott County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scott County, Mississippi?
4 utilities have service territory in Scott County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Mississippi Power Co, 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 power plants are in Scott County?
1 operating plant with 175 MW of capacity. The largest is Pearl River Solar Park LLC (175 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Scott County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scott County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Madison County.
Is Scott County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,651 jobs in 2025 against 13,286 in 2019 (+2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 501 to 485.
Does Scott County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scott County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.