Caribou County, Idaho: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Soda Springs
Caribou 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. Caribou County is home to Soda Springs and Grace. Construction employs 276, down 18.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Lincoln County, Wyoming, has 500 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 49 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Caribou County
Caribou County is home to Soda Springs and Grace.
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 Caribou County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,013 | 7,252 | ▲ 3.4% | 35th of 44 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,589 | 3,544 | ▼ 1.3% | 42nd of 44 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,867 | $70,275 | ▲ 28.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 340 | 276 | ▼ 18.8% | 32nd of 33 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Caribou County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.00¢ median for Idaho utilities. Employers here counted 3,544 jobs in 2025, down 1.3% from 2019. 7,252 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Caribou County
Utilities with service territory in Caribou County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 74,170 | 12.11¢ | 16% |
| Lower Valley Energy Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,636 | 7.23¢ | 6% |
| City of Soda Springs - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 49 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace | PacifiCorp | Hydro | 33 MW | 1923 |
| Soda | PacifiCorp | Hydro | 15 MW | 1924 |
| Last Chance | PacifiCorp | Hydro | 2 MW | 1984 |
The Caribou County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,544 | $70,275 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 276 | $69,306 | 1.47 |
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 Caribou County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Caribou County. Idaho has 4 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Bannock County.
Caribou County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Caribou 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou County | 7,252 | ▼ 1.3% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Bannock County | 91,591 | ▲ 10.8% | 21 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bear Lake County | 6,727 | ▲ 18.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Bingham County | 51,153 | ▲ 7.0% | 160 MW | — | — | — |
| Bonneville County | 135,771 | ▲ 18.7% | 611 MW | 359 MW | — | — |
| Franklin County | 15,889 | ▲ 15.7% | 33 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County WY | 21,180 | ▲ 12.7% | 864 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
More of Idaho
Caribou County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Caribou County, Idaho?
3 utilities have service territory in Caribou County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Lower Valley Energy Inc, City of Soda Springs - (ID). The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Caribou County?
3 operating plants with 49 MW of capacity. The largest is Grace (33 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Caribou County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Caribou County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lincoln County.
Is Caribou County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,544 jobs in 2025 against 3,589 in 2019 (-1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 340 to 276.
Does Caribou County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Caribou County. Idaho has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.