Sunflower County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Indianola, Ruleville and Moorhead
Sunflower 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 252, up 95.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 7.9% in 2019. Sunflower County is home to Indianola, Ruleville, Moorhead and Drew. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Girasol Solar Farm LLC (solar), the 10th largest pipeline among Mississippi's counties. Next door, Washington County has 1,019 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Sunflower County
Sunflower County is home to Indianola, Ruleville, Moorhead and Drew.
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 Sunflower County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,695 | 22,893 | ▼ 10.9% | 40th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,082 | 8,082 | ● 0.0% | 38th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,685 | $42,411 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 129 | 252 | ▲ 95.3% | 4th of 45 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.9% | 4.2% | ▼ 3.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 199 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 50% of today's fleet | 10th of 14 by size |
199 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 199 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. 22,893 people live here, down 10.9% since 2020. Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Sunflower 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. Employers here counted 8,082 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019.
Who powers Sunflower County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +199 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sunflower 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% |
| Delta Electric Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,460 | 13.75¢ | 8% |
| Coahoma Electric Power Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| Twin County Electric Pwr Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 199 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower County | Sunflower County Solar Project, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2022 |
| Harvest Gold Solar | Harvest Gold Solar Power, LLC | Solar | 99 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Girasol Solar Farm | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Girasol Solar Farm LLC |
The Sunflower County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,082 | $42,411 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 252 | $61,770 | 0.59 |
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 Sunflower County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sunflower County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Sunflower County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Sunflower County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower County | 22,893 | ● 0.0% | 199 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Bolivar County | 28,262 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Coahoma County | 19,849 | ▼ 20.0% | 546 MW | — | — | — |
| Humphreys County | 7,001 | ▼ 12.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Leflore County | 25,686 | ▼ 17.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Tallahatchie County | 10,877 | ▼ 2.0% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 40,446 | ▼ 10.8% | 781 MW | 1,019 MW | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Sunflower County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sunflower County, Mississippi?
4 utilities have service territory in Sunflower County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Delta Electric Power Assn, Coahoma Electric Power Assn, Twin County Electric Pwr Assn. The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sunflower County?
2 operating plants with 199 MW of capacity. The largest is Sunflower County (100 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Sunflower County?
100 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Girasol Solar Farm LLC.
Are there data centers in Sunflower County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sunflower County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Sunflower County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,082 jobs in 2025 against 8,082 in 2019 (+0.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 129 to 252.
Does Sunflower County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sunflower County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.