Smith County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Taylorsville and Raleigh
No data center or power plant project is on record in Smith County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Smith County is home to Taylorsville, Raleigh and Polkville. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Its power plants have 148 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Smith 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. Employers here counted 2,711 jobs in 2025, down 1.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Smith County
Smith County is home to Taylorsville, Raleigh and Polkville.
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 Smith County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,200 | 13,991 | ▼ 1.5% | 57th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,746 | 2,711 | ▼ 1.3% | 44th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,120 | $49,536 | ▲ 26.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 58 | 43 | ▼ 25.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 3.0% | ▼ 2.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
13,991 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Smith County
Utilities with service territory in Smith 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% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 148 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvarena | Cooperative Energy | Natural gas | 141 MW | 2003 |
| Georgia-Pacific Taylorsville Plywood | Georgia-Pacific Wood Products LLC | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2018 |
The Smith County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,711 | $49,536 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 43 | $40,182 | 0.30 |
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 Smith County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Smith County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Smith County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Smith County, Jasper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County | 13,991 | ▼ 1.3% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Covington County | 17,898 | ▲ 0.9% | — | 96 MW | — | — |
| Jasper County | 15,785 | ▼ 4.3% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
| Jones County | 66,496 | ▲ 2.9% | 510 MW | — | — | — |
| Newton County | 20,960 | ▼ 10.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Rankin County | 162,181 | ▲ 6.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 28,073 | ▲ 2.7% | 175 MW | — | — | — |
| Simpson County | 25,498 | ▼ 2.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Smith County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Smith County, Mississippi?
3 utilities have service territory in Smith County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Mississippi Power Co, Southern Pine Electric Cooperative. The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Smith County?
2 operating plants with 148 MW of capacity. The largest is Sylvarena (141 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Smith County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Smith County.
Is Smith County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,711 jobs in 2025 against 2,746 in 2019 (-1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 58 to 43.
Does Smith County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Smith County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.