Jackson County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Jackson 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. Jackson County is home to Walden. Next door, Carbon County, Wyoming, has 3,557 MW of planned generation. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 1,211 people live here, down 12.2% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to Walden.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,379 | 1,211 | ▼ 12.2% | 61st of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 581 | 557 | ▼ 4.1% | 60th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,238 | $51,581 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 557 jobs in 2025, down 4.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Mountain Parks Electric, Inc is the largest utility serving Jackson County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.15¢ median for Colorado utilities.
Who powers Jackson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jackson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Parks Electric, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,183 | 15.98¢ | 38% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whiskey Hill Solar | Mountain Parks Services, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 557 | $51,581 | 1.00 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Larimer County.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Jackson County, Carbon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 1,211 | ▼ 4.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Albany County WY | 38,558 | ▲ 9.2% | 487 MW | 504 MW | — | — |
| Carbon County WY | 14,013 | ▼ 9.6% | 1,847 MW | 3,557 MW | — | — |
| Grand County | 16,496 | ▲ 5.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Larimer County | 377,292 | ▲ 3.3% | 1,055 MW | 225 MW | — | 1 |
| Routt County | 25,329 | ▲ 4.8% | 465 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Colorado?
2 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mountain Parks Electric, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Mountain Parks Electric, Inc, charged residential customers 15.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jackson County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Whiskey Hill Solar (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Carbon County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 557 jobs in 2025 against 581 in 2019 (-4.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.