Washington County, Utah: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. George, Washington and Hurricane
Washington County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Washington County, 8% of Utah's total. Construction employs 10,498, up 33.8% since 2019, and construction is 2.2 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 89,775 jobs in 2025, up 28.6% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 29 Utah counties). Washington County is home to St. George, Washington, Hurricane and Ivins. Electrical contractors employ 889, up 50.2% since 2019 against up 29.8% statewide, at an average $59,019 a year.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to St. George, Washington, Hurricane and Ivins.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Central, Dammeron Valley, Pine Valley, Veyo.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 182,002 | 213,670 | ▲ 17.4% | 5th of 29 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69,835 | 89,775 | ▲ 28.6% | 3rd of 29 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,789 | $50,877 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,848 | 10,498 | ▲ 33.8% | 12th of 20 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 592 | 889 | ▲ 50.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 124 | 157 | ▲ 26.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
213,670 people live here, up 17.4% since 2020, 5th of 29 Utah counties by population. 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 154 MW of capacity, 72% of it natural gas. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.39¢ median for Utah utilities.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +15 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 947,246 | 12.52¢ | 42% |
| City of St George | Municipal | Bundled | 28,436 | 11.40¢ | 53% |
| Dixie Escalante R E A, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,906 | 8.92¢ | 33% |
| Garkane Energy Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,653 | 11.45¢ | 41% |
| Hurricane City Power | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Santa Clara - (UT) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Washington - (UT) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Enterprise - (UT) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 111 MW | 72% |
| Petroleum | 29 MW | 19% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 6% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millcreek Power Generation | City of St George - (UT) | Natural gas | 80 MW | 2006 |
| Hurricane City Power | Hurricane City Power - (UT) | Natural gas | 15 MW | 1999 |
| Solomon Generating Facility | Deseret Generation & Tran Coop | Natural gas | 15 MW | 2022 |
| St George Red Rock | City of St George - (UT) | Petroleum | 14 MW | 1987 |
| Bloomington Power Plant | City of St George - (UT) | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1999 |
| Veyo Heat Recovery Project | Utah Associated Mun Power Sys | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2016 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 89,775 | $50,877 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 10,498 | $56,244 | 2.21 |
| Electrical contractors | 889 | $59,019 | 1.37 |
| Data processing and hosting | 157 | $125,926 | 0.56 |
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 Washington County
4 data centers in Washington County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 213,670 | ▲ 28.6% | 154 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Iron County | 67,141 | ▲ 31.3% | 1,097 MW | 1,013 MW | — | 1 |
| Kane County | 8,597 | ▲ 16.2% | — | 95 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County NV | 4,320 | ▲ 6.1% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Mohave County AZ | 228,102 | ▲ 9.9% | 3,321 MW | 267 MW | — | — |
More of Utah
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Utah?
8 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, City of St George, Dixie Escalante R E A, Inc, Garkane Energy Coop, Inc. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is St. George, UT in?
St. George is in Washington County, Utah. About 108,713 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Washington, UT in?
Washington is in Washington County, Utah. About 37,107 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hurricane, UT in?
Hurricane is in Washington County, Utah. About 25,745 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Washington County?
9 operating plants with 154 MW of capacity. The largest is Millcreek Power Generation (80 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Washington County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 89,775 jobs in 2025 against 69,835 in 2019 (+28.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,848 to 10,498.
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Washington County. Utah has 10 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.