Tunica County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Austin and Dundee
No data center or power plant project is on record in Tunica County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Tunica County is home to Tunica. Employers here counted 5,469 jobs in 2025, down 26.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 6.8% in 2019. Next door, Lee County, Arkansas, has 400 MW of planned generation. 8,819 people live here, down 9.4% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Tunica County
Tunica County is home to Tunica.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Austin, Dundee, North Tunica, Tunica Resorts, White Oak.
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 Tunica County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,732 | 8,819 | ▼ 9.4% | 71st of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,471 | 5,469 | ▼ 26.8% | 82nd of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,789 | $42,578 | ▲ 29.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 54 | 69 | ▲ 27.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.8% | 5.0% | ▼ 1.8pts | — |
Entergy Mississippi LLC is the largest utility serving Tunica County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.21¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities.
Who powers Tunica County
Utilities with service territory in Tunica 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% |
| Coahoma Electric Power 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.
No operating power plant is located in Tunica County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Tunica County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,469 | $42,578 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 69 | $82,119 | 0.24 |
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 Tunica County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Tunica County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Tunica County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Tunica County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunica County | 8,819 | ▼ 26.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Coahoma County | 19,849 | ▼ 20.0% | 546 MW | — | — | — |
| Crittenden County AR | 46,210 | ▲ 9.5% | 360 MW | — | 1 | — |
| DeSoto County | 197,918 | ▲ 14.6% | 1,004 MW | 195 MW | — | — |
| Lee County AR | 8,029 | ▼ 15.7% | 100 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Panola County | 32,691 | ▲ 5.6% | 904 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Phillips County AR | 14,255 | ▼ 18.8% | 200 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Quitman County | 5,364 | ▼ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Tate County | 28,725 | ▲ 19.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Tunica County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tunica County, Mississippi?
2 utilities have service territory in Tunica County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Mississippi LLC, Coahoma Electric Power Assn. The largest, Entergy Mississippi LLC, charged residential customers 13.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Tunica County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tunica County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lee County.
Is Tunica County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,469 jobs in 2025 against 7,471 in 2019 (-26.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 54 to 69.
Does Tunica County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Tunica County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.