Benton County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Corvallis, Albany and Philomath
Benton County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Benton County. Benton County is home to Corvallis, part of Albany (9,225 of its 56,894 residents), Philomath and Adair Village. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Oregon State University Energy Center (natural gas, 1 MW, 2023). Construction employs 1,274, up 0.6% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Benton County
Benton County is home to Corvallis, part of Albany (9,225 of its 56,894 residents), Philomath and Adair Village.
- Albany also extends into Linn County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alpine, Alsea, Bellfountain, Blodgett, Kings Valley, Summit.
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 Benton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 93,602 | 97,728 | ▲ 4.4% | 11th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38,210 | 38,560 | ▲ 0.9% | 22nd of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,364 | $69,821 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,267 | 1,274 | ▲ 0.6% | 17th of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Its power plants have 12 MW of capacity, 46% of it other technologies. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Benton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. Employers here counted 38,560 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. 97,728 people live here, up 4.4% since 2020.
Who powers Benton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Benton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 547,235 | 14.02¢ | 47% |
| Emerald People's Utility Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 19,968 | 11.05¢ | 24% |
| Consumers Power, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,751 | 13.01¢ | 25% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 46% |
| Natural gas | 6 MW | 45% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffin Butte | Pacific Northwest Generating Coop | Other technologies | 6 MW | 1995 |
| Oregon State University Energy Center | Oregon State University | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2010 |
| Oregon University System Rabbit Field | Tesla Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2014 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State University Energy Center | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Benton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 38,560 | $69,821 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,274 | $69,399 | 0.62 |
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 Benton County
1 data center in Benton County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Benton County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Benton County, Lane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 97,728 | ▲ 0.9% | 12 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Lane County | 381,584 | ▼ 0.7% | 284 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Lincoln County | 50,636 | ▼ 0.9% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Linn County | 132,843 | ▲ 1.1% | 245 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Polk County | 90,037 | ▲ 0.9% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Benton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Benton County, Oregon?
3 utilities have service territory in Benton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Emerald People's Utility Dist, Consumers Power, Inc. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 14.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Corvallis, OR in?
Corvallis is in Benton County, Oregon. About 61,499 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Benton County?
3 operating plants with 12 MW of capacity. The largest is Coffin Butte (6 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Benton County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Benton County.
Is Benton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 38,560 jobs in 2025 against 38,210 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,267 to 1,274.
Does Benton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Benton County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.