Garfield County, Utah: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Panguitch
Garfield 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. Garfield County is home to Panguitch and Escalante. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 7.2% in 2019. Next door, Iron County has 1,013 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 2,596 jobs in 2025, up 6.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Garfield County
Garfield County is home to Panguitch and Escalante.
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 Garfield County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,105 | 5,256 | ▲ 3.0% | 25th of 29 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,441 | 2,596 | ▲ 6.3% | 28th of 29 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,869 | $72,380 | ▲ 120.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.2% | 4.8% | ▼ 2.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 7, at an average $52,188 a year. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Garfield County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.39¢ median for Utah utilities. 5,256 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Garfield County
Utilities with service territory in Garfield County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 947,246 | 12.52¢ | 42% |
| Garkane Energy Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,653 | 11.45¢ | 41% |
| Ticaboo Electric Improvement District | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | Garkane Energy Coop, Inc | Hydro | 4 MW | 1958 |
The Garfield County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,596 | $72,380 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 7 | $52,188 | 0.37 |
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 Garfield County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Garfield County. Utah has 10 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Iron County, Wayne County.
Garfield County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Garfield County, Iron 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield County | 5,256 | ▲ 6.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaver County | 7,301 | ▲ 10.5% | 831 MW | 441 MW | — | — |
| Iron County | 67,141 | ▲ 31.3% | 1,097 MW | 1,013 MW | — | 1 |
| Kane County | 8,597 | ▲ 16.2% | — | 95 MW | — | — |
| Piute County | 1,509 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
| San Juan County | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 2,587 | ▲ 17.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Utah
Garfield County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Garfield County, Utah?
3 utilities have service territory in Garfield County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Garkane Energy Coop, Inc, Ticaboo Electric Improvement District. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Garfield County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Boulder (4 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Garfield County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Garfield County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Iron County.
Is Garfield County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,596 jobs in 2025 against 2,441 in 2019 (+6.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Garfield County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Garfield County. Utah has 10 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.