Polk County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Salem, Dallas and Monmouth
Polk 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. Polk County is home to part of Salem (30,380 of its 181,779 residents), Dallas, Monmouth and Independence. Next door, Marion County has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Construction employs 1,196, up 0.6% since 2019. 19 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Polk County
Polk County is home to part of Salem (30,380 of its 181,779 residents), Dallas, Monmouth and Independence.
- Salem also extends into Marion County.
- Willamina also extends into Yamhill County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eola, Fort Hill, Grand Ronde, Rickreall.
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 Polk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 87,983 | 90,037 | ▲ 2.3% | 12th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,977 | 21,174 | ▲ 0.9% | 21st of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,080 | $54,279 | ▲ 38.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,189 | 1,196 | ▲ 0.6% | 16th of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 19 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 26 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Portland General Electric Co is the largest utility serving Polk County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 18.19¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. Employers here counted 21,174 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. 90,037 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Polk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +19 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Polk County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland General Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 828,857 | 18.19¢ | 33% |
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 547,235 | 14.02¢ | 47% |
| Consumers Power, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,751 | 13.01¢ | 25% |
| Salem Electric - (OR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,385 | 11.02¢ | 33% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| City of Monmouth - (OR) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 26 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Solar LLC (OR) | KSI III Consolidated, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2026 |
| Wallace Solar LLC (CSG) | SolRiver Capital LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2024 |
| Waterford Solar, LLC CSG | Waterford Solar LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2025 |
| Apricus Solar LLC | KSI III Consolidated, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Cosper Creek Solar (CSG) | Cosper Creek Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2022 |
| Zena Solar | Zena Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Polk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,174 | $54,279 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,196 | $66,839 | 1.07 |
| Data processing and hosting | 12 | $77,773 | 0.18 |
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 Polk County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Polk County. Oregon has 7 local measures on record statewide.
Polk County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Polk County, Marion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 90,037 | ▲ 0.9% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 97,728 | ▲ 0.9% | 12 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Lincoln County | 50,636 | ▼ 0.9% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Linn County | 132,843 | ▲ 1.1% | 245 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Marion County | 355,777 | ▲ 10.7% | 177 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Tillamook County | 27,384 | ▲ 1.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Yamhill County | 110,024 | ▲ 8.0% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Polk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Polk County, Oregon?
6 utilities have service territory in Polk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Portland General Electric Co, PacifiCorp, Consumers Power, Inc, Salem Electric - (OR). The largest, Portland General Electric Co, charged residential customers 18.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Is Salem in Polk County?
Partly. 30,380 of Salem's 181,779 residents (17%) live in Polk County; most of the city is in Marion County.
What county is Dallas, OR in?
Dallas is in Polk County, Oregon. About 17,890 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Monmouth, OR in?
Monmouth is in Polk County, Oregon. About 11,543 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Polk County?
10 operating plants with 26 MW of capacity. The largest is Lincoln Solar LLC (OR) (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Polk County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Polk County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Marion County.
Is Polk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,174 jobs in 2025 against 20,977 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,189 to 1,196.
Does Polk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Polk County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.