Nez Perce County, Idaho: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lewiston and Lapwai
Nez Perce 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. Nez Perce County is home to Lewiston and Lapwai. Construction employs 1,114, up 16.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 21,772 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 114 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Avista Corp is the largest utility serving Nez Perce County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.00¢ median for Idaho utilities.
Cities and towns in Nez Perce County
Nez Perce County is home to Lewiston and Lapwai.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Sweetwater.
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 Nez Perce County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,148 | 42,905 | ▲ 1.8% | 10th of 44 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,945 | 21,772 | ▲ 3.9% | 38th of 44 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,735 | $56,372 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 960 | 1,114 | ▲ 16.0% | 27th of 33 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 42,905 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020, 10th of 44 Idaho counties by population.
Who powers Nez Perce County
Utilities with service territory in Nez Perce County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avista Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 128,226 | 11.62¢ | 30% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clearwater Power Company | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 114 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Paper IPP Lewiston | Clearwater Paper Corporation | Other technologies | 114 MW | 1950 |
The Nez Perce County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,772 | $56,372 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,114 | $68,837 | 0.97 |
| Data processing and hosting | 15 | $100,835 | 0.22 |
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 Nez Perce County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Nez Perce County. Idaho has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Nez Perce County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Nez Perce County, Whitman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nez Perce County | 42,905 | ▲ 3.9% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Asotin County WA | 22,545 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Clearwater County | 9,118 | ▲ 6.3% | 466 MW | — | — | — |
| Idaho County | 17,874 | ▲ 4.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Latah County | 41,842 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 3,704 | ▼ 8.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Wallowa County OR | 7,595 | ▲ 8.3% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| Whitman County WA | 48,512 | ▼ 0.1% | 920 MW | — | — | — |
More of Idaho
Nez Perce County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nez Perce County, Idaho?
3 utilities have service territory in Nez Perce County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Avista Corp, Bonneville Power Administration, Clearwater Power Company. The largest, Avista Corp, charged residential customers 11.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lewiston, ID in?
Lewiston is in Nez Perce County, Idaho. About 34,717 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Nez Perce County?
1 operating plant with 114 MW of capacity. The largest is Clearwater Paper IPP Lewiston (114 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Nez Perce County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nez Perce County.
Is Nez Perce County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,772 jobs in 2025 against 20,945 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 960 to 1,114.
Does Nez Perce County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nez Perce County. Idaho has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.