Wallowa County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Enterprise and Joseph
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wallowa County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wallowa County is home to Enterprise, Joseph and Wallowa. Construction employs 191, up 24.8% since 2019. Next door, Umatilla County has 13 data centers and 604 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,855 jobs in 2025, up 8.3% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 36 Oregon counties).
Cities and towns in Wallowa County
Wallowa County is home to Enterprise, Joseph and Wallowa.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Wallowa Lake.
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 Wallowa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,403 | 7,595 | ▲ 2.6% | 31st of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,636 | 2,855 | ▲ 8.3% | 6th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,252 | $55,379 | ▲ 48.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 153 | 191 | ▲ 24.8% | 6th of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 4.5% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 412 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro, the 10th largest fleet in Oregon. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Wallowa 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. 7,595 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Wallowa County
Utilities with service territory in Wallowa County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 547,235 | 14.02¢ | 47% |
| Idaho Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 14,098 | 11.29¢ | 23% |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 412 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hells Canyon | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 411 MW | 1967 |
| Wallowa Falls | PacifiCorp | Hydro | 1 MW | 1921 |
The Wallowa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,855 | $55,379 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 191 | $56,548 | 1.26 |
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 Wallowa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wallowa County. Oregon has 7 local measures on record statewide.
Wallowa County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Wallowa County, Umatilla 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallowa County | 7,595 | ▲ 8.3% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County ID | 5,013 | ▲ 2.3% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Asotin County WA | 22,545 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Baker County | 16,658 | ▼ 0.2% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County WA | 4,141 | ▼ 10.8% | 1,467 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County WA | 2,416 | ▼ 3.0% | 343 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
| Idaho County ID | 17,874 | ▲ 4.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Nez Perce County ID | 42,905 | ▲ 3.9% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Umatilla County | 81,119 | ▲ 4.6% | 2,719 MW | 604 MW | 13 | — |
| Union County | 25,900 | ▲ 1.7% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Wallowa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wallowa County, Oregon?
3 utilities have service territory in Wallowa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Idaho Power Co, Clearwater Power Company. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 14.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Wallowa County?
2 operating plants with 412 MW of capacity. The largest is Hells Canyon (411 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Wallowa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wallowa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Umatilla County.
Is Wallowa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,855 jobs in 2025 against 2,636 in 2019 (+8.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 153 to 191.
Does Wallowa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wallowa County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.