Gooding County, Idaho: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gooding and Wendell
Gooding 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. Gooding County is home to Gooding, Wendell and Hagerman. Construction employs 326, up 38.7% since 2019. Next door, Elmore County has 200 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 6,664 jobs in 2025, up 9.0% from 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies.
Cities and towns in Gooding County
Gooding County is home to Gooding, Wendell and Hagerman.
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 Gooding County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,647 | 16,446 | ▲ 5.1% | 21st of 44 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,112 | 6,664 | ▲ 9.0% | 24th of 44 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,187 | $52,022 | ▲ 39.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 235 | 326 | ▲ 38.7% | 18th of 33 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38 | 35 | ▼ 7.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 188 MW of capacity, 91% of it hydro. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Idaho Power Co is the largest utility serving Gooding County. Its residential customers paid an average 11.76¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.00¢ median for Idaho utilities. Electrical contractors employ 35, down 7.9% since 2019 against up 66.6% statewide, at an average $50,583 a year. 16,446 people live here, up 5.1% since 2020.
Who powers Gooding County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Gooding County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 525,751 | 11.76¢ | 27% |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 170 MW | 91% |
| Wind | 10 MW | 6% |
| Other technologies | 7 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bliss (ID) | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 75 MW | 1949 |
| Lower Salmon | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 60 MW | 1949 |
| Lower Malad | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 14 MW | 1948 |
| Fossil Gulch | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Wind | 10 MW | 2005 |
| Upper Malad | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 8 MW | 1948 |
| Thousand Springs | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 7 MW | 1920 |
The Gooding County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,664 | $52,022 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 326 | $53,788 | 0.92 |
| Electrical contractors | 35 | $50,583 | 0.73 |
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 Gooding County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gooding County. Idaho has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Gooding County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Gooding County, Elmore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gooding County | 16,446 | ▲ 9.0% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Camas County | 1,316 | ▲ 10.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Elmore County | 29,465 | ▲ 5.2% | 928 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Jerome County | 26,362 | ▲ 17.7% | 53 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 5,603 | ▲ 1.4% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Twin Falls County | 97,539 | ▲ 6.9% | 598 MW | — | — | — |
More of Idaho
Gooding County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gooding County, Idaho?
1 utility has service territory in Gooding County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Idaho Power Co. The largest, Idaho Power Co, charged residential customers 11.76¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Gooding County?
13 operating plants with 188 MW of capacity. The largest is Bliss (ID) (75 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Gooding County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gooding County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Elmore County.
Is Gooding County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,664 jobs in 2025 against 6,112 in 2019 (+9.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 235 to 326.
Does Gooding County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gooding County. Idaho has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.