Bear Lake County, Idaho: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Montpelier
Bear Lake County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Bear Lake County, 6% of Idaho's total. Bear Lake County is home to Montpelier and Paris. Employers here counted 2,013 jobs in 2025, up 18.1% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 44 Idaho counties). PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Bear Lake County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.00¢ median for Idaho utilities. 6,727 people live here, up 5.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Bear Lake County
Bear Lake County is home to Montpelier and Paris.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bennington.
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 Bear Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,365 | 6,727 | ▲ 5.7% | 36th of 44 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,704 | 2,013 | ▲ 18.1% | 9th of 44 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $29,333 | $40,906 | ▲ 39.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 45 | 93 | ▲ 106.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.7% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019.
Who powers Bear Lake County
Utilities with service territory in Bear Lake County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 74,170 | 12.11¢ | 16% |
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 Bear Lake County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Bear Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,013 | $40,906 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 93 | $41,543 | 0.87 |
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 Bear Lake County
1 data center in Bear Lake County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Bear Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Bear Lake County, Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Lake County | 6,727 | ▲ 18.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Cache County UT | 145,000 | ▲ 11.2% | 39 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Caribou County | 7,252 | ▼ 1.3% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 15,889 | ▲ 15.7% | 33 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County WY | 21,180 | ▲ 12.7% | 864 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Rich County UT | 2,687 | ▲ 20.4% | 58 MW | — | — | — |
More of Idaho
Bear Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bear Lake County, Idaho?
1 utility has service territory in Bear Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Bear Lake County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Bear Lake County.
Is Bear Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,013 jobs in 2025 against 1,704 in 2019 (+18.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 45 to 93.
Does Bear Lake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bear Lake County. Idaho has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.