Yamhill County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to McMinnville, Newberg and Sheridan
The build-out shows up in Yamhill County as work for the electrical trades. Yamhill County is home to McMinnville, Newberg, Sheridan and Lafayette. Next door, Washington County has 46 data centers and 200 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 266, up 27.3% since 2019 against up 12.8% statewide, at an average $99,440 a year. Construction employs 2,156, up 4.5% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Yamhill County
Yamhill County is home to McMinnville, Newberg, Sheridan and Lafayette.
- Willamina also extends into Polk County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Hill, Grand Ronde.
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 Yamhill County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 107,692 | 110,024 | ▲ 2.2% | 10th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37,033 | 39,978 | ▲ 8.0% | 7th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,567 | $57,280 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,063 | 2,156 | ▲ 4.5% | 13th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 209 | 266 | ▲ 27.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 22 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 39,978 jobs in 2025, up 8.0% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 36 Oregon counties). 22 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 36 MW of capacity, 87% of it solar. Portland General Electric Co is the largest utility serving Yamhill County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 18.19¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. 110,024 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020, 10th of 36 Oregon counties by population.
Who powers Yamhill County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +22 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Yamhill 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% |
| Tillamook Peoples Utility Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 20,133 | 11.82¢ | 26% |
| City of McMinnville - (OR) | Municipal | Bundled | 17,190 | 7.56¢ | 22% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| West Oregon Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 32 MW | 87% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 13% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverbend Landfill | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2010 |
| Butler Solar, LLC | SolRiver Capital LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2021 |
| Sheridan Solar LLC (CSG) | SolRiver Capital LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2024 |
| SulusSolar28 | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |
| SulusSolar33 | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| OR - Green Key - Gun Club | Gun Club Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Yamhill County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 39,978 | $57,280 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,156 | $70,396 | 1.02 |
| Electrical contractors | 266 | $99,440 | 0.92 |
| Data processing and hosting | 42 | $231,043 | 0.34 |
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 Yamhill County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Yamhill County. Oregon has 7 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Clackamas County, Washington County.
Yamhill County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Yamhill County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamhill County | 110,024 | ▲ 8.0% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
| Clackamas County | 426,280 | ▲ 3.2% | 278 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Marion County | 355,777 | ▲ 10.7% | 177 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Polk County | 90,037 | ▲ 0.9% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Tillamook County | 27,384 | ▲ 1.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 611,708 | ▼ 0.2% | 99 MW | 200 MW | 46 | 1 |
More of Oregon
Yamhill County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yamhill County, Oregon?
5 utilities have service territory in Yamhill County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Portland General Electric Co, Tillamook Peoples Utility Dist, City of McMinnville - (OR), Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, Portland General Electric Co, charged residential customers 18.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is McMinnville, OR in?
McMinnville is in Yamhill County, Oregon. About 34,647 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Newberg, OR in?
Newberg is in Yamhill County, Oregon. About 26,896 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Yamhill County?
14 operating plants with 36 MW of capacity. The largest is Riverbend Landfill (5 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Yamhill County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Yamhill County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Yamhill County adding jobs?
Employers counted 39,978 jobs in 2025 against 37,033 in 2019 (+8.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,063 to 2,156.
Does Yamhill County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Yamhill County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.