Benewah County, Idaho: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Maries and Plummer
Benewah 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. Benewah County is home to St. Maries and Plummer. Construction employs 130, up 32.7% since 2019. Next door, Spokane County, Washington, has 7 data centers. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies.
Cities and towns in Benewah County
Benewah County is home to St. Maries and Plummer.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): De Smet, Fernwood, Parkline.
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 Benewah County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,580 | 10,508 | ▲ 9.7% | 30th of 44 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,492 | 3,454 | ▼ 1.1% | 41st of 44 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,545 | $58,784 | ▲ 41.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 98 | 130 | ▲ 32.7% | 22nd of 33 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
10,508 people live here, up 9.7% since 2020. Avista Corp is the largest utility serving Benewah County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.00¢ median for Idaho utilities. Employers here counted 3,454 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019.
Who powers Benewah County
Utilities with service territory in Benewah County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avista Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 128,226 | 11.62¢ | 30% |
| Kootenai Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,378 | 12.21¢ | 24% |
| Inland Power & Light Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,115 | 8.92¢ | 11% |
| Clearwater Power Company | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Plummer - (ID) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plummer Cogen | Stimson Lumber Company | Other technologies | 6 MW | 1982 |
The Benewah County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,454 | $58,784 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 130 | $46,213 | 0.71 |
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 Benewah County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Benewah County. Idaho has 4 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Kootenai County, Spokane County.
Benewah County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Benewah County, Spokane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benewah County | 10,508 | ▼ 1.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Kootenai County | 191,864 | ▲ 12.3% | 486 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Latah County | 41,842 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Shoshone County | 14,130 | ▲ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Spokane County WA | 558,344 | ▲ 6.7% | 192 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Whitman County WA | 48,512 | ▼ 0.1% | 920 MW | — | — | — |
More of Idaho
Benewah County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Benewah County, Idaho?
5 utilities have service territory in Benewah County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Avista Corp, Kootenai Electric Cooperative, Inland Power & Light Company, Clearwater Power Company. The largest, Avista Corp, charged residential customers 11.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Benewah County?
1 operating plant with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Plummer Cogen (6 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Benewah County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Benewah County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Spokane County.
Is Benewah County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,454 jobs in 2025 against 3,492 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 98 to 130.
Does Benewah County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Benewah County. Idaho has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.