Hood River County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hood River and Cascade Locks
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Hood River County. Hood River County is home to Hood River and Cascade Locks. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Cascade Locks Data Center (Roundhouse Digital Infrastructure). Construction employs 497, up 3.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 13,859 jobs in 2025, down 3.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Hood River County
Hood River County is home to Hood River and Cascade Locks.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Mount Hood, Odell, Parkdale.
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 Hood River County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,898 | 23,720 | ▼ 0.7% | 26th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,391 | 13,859 | ▼ 3.7% | 33rd of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,747 | $54,736 | ▲ 34.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 480 | 497 | ▲ 3.5% | 15th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 54 | 49 | ▼ 9.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Hood River County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 49, down 9.3% since 2019 against up 12.8% statewide, at an average $83,302 a year. 23,720 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Hood River County
Utilities with service territory in Hood River County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 547,235 | 14.02¢ | 47% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| City of Cascade Locks - (OR) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hood River Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Fork Irrigation District | Middle Fork Irrigation Dist | Hydro | 3 MW | 1986 |
| Copper Dam Plant | Farmer's Irrigation District | Hydro | 3 MW | 2015 |
| Peters Drive Plant | Farmer's Irrigation District | Hydro | 2 MW | 1987 |
The Hood River County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,859 | $54,736 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 497 | $63,181 | 0.68 |
| Electrical contractors | 49 | $83,302 | 0.49 |
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 Hood River County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Locks Data Center (Roundhouse Digital Infrastructure) | cancelled | — |
Hood River County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hood River County, Wasco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hood River County | 23,720 | ▼ 3.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Clackamas County | 426,280 | ▲ 3.2% | 278 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Klickitat County WA | 24,331 | ▼ 4.3% | 1,708 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Multnomah County | 795,391 | ▼ 4.9% | 1,588 MW | — | 12 | — |
| Skamania County WA | 12,669 | ▲ 4.5% | 240 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wasco County | 26,310 | ▼ 2.0% | 2,038 MW | 2,103 MW | 4 | — |
More of Oregon
Hood River County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hood River County, Oregon?
4 utilities have service territory in Hood River County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Bonneville Power Administration, City of Cascade Locks - (OR), Hood River Electric Coop. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 14.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hood River County?
3 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Middle Fork Irrigation District (3 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Hood River County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hood River County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wasco County.
Is Hood River County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,859 jobs in 2025 against 14,391 in 2019 (-3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 480 to 497.
Does Hood River County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hood River County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.