King County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Seattle and Bellevue, and the communities of White Center
King County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 45 data centers in King County, 40% of Washington's total. King County is home to Seattle, Bellevue, Kent and Renton, plus the unincorporated community of White Center. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Construction employs 68,276, down 8.6% since 2019. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including University of Washington Power Plant (natural gas, 5 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in King County
King County is home to Seattle, Bellevue, Kent and Renton, plus the unincorporated community of White Center.
And 15 smaller places.
- Auburn also extends into Pierce County.
- Bothell also extends into Snohomish County.
- Milton also extends into Pierce County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): White Center, Ames Lake, Baring, Boulevard Park, Bryn Mawr-Skyway, Cottage Lake, East Renton Highlands, Fairwood, Fall City, Hobart, Lake Holm, Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Lake Morton-Berrydale, Lakeland North, Lakeland South, Maple Heights-Lake Desire, Mirrormont, Ravensdale, Riverbend, Riverpoint, Shadow Lake, Union Hill-Novelty Hill, Vashon, Wilderness Rim.
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 King County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,274,304 | 2,344,939 | ▲ 3.1% | 1st of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,433,618 | 1,436,484 | ▲ 0.2% | 30th of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $93,286 | $136,848 | ▲ 46.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 74,731 | 68,276 | ▼ 8.6% | 30th of 33 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,064 | 9,492 | ▲ 4.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,385 | 1,079 | ▼ 22.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,332 | 19,792 | ▲ 74.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 9,492, up 4.7% since 2019 against up 6.1% statewide, at an average $119,001 a year. Its power plants have 167 MW of capacity, 85% of it hydro. Puget Sound Energy Inc is the largest utility serving King County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. Employers here counted 1,436,484 jobs in 2025, up 0.2% from 2019. 2,344,939 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020, 1st of 39 Washington counties by population.
Who powers King County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in King County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Energy Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,091,599 | 14.63¢ | 41% |
| City of Seattle - (WA) | Municipal | Bundled | 459,964 | 14.09¢ | 55% |
| City of Tacoma - (WA) | Municipal | Bundled | 180,357 | 10.81¢ | 7% |
| PUD No 1 of Chelan County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 42,120 | 3.67¢ | 26% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 56% |
| City of Milton - (WA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tanner Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 142 MW | 85% |
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 7% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 6% |
| Natural gas | 3 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snoqualmie 2 | Puget Sound Energy Inc | Hydro | 39 MW | 1957 |
| Cedar Falls (WA) | City of Seattle - (WA) | Hydro | 30 MW | 1921 |
| Twin Falls Hydro | Central Rivers Power US, LLC | Hydro | 24 MW | 1989 |
| South Fork Tolt | City of Seattle - (WA) | Hydro | 17 MW | 1995 |
| University of Washington Power Plant | University of Washington | Petroleum | 15 MW | 1993 |
| Snoqualmie | Puget Sound Energy Inc | Hydro | 13 MW | 1898 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington Power Plant | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2022 |
The King County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,436,484 | $136,848 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 68,276 | $103,955 | 0.90 |
| Electrical contractors | 9,492 | $119,001 | 0.92 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,079 | $101,550 | 0.47 |
| Data processing and hosting | 19,792 | $287,875 | 4.43 |
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 King County
45 data centers in King County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
King County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border King County, Chelan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King County | 2,344,939 | ▲ 0.2% | 167 MW | — | 45 | — |
| Chelan County | 81,941 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,905 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Kittitas County | 48,803 | ▲ 9.1% | 483 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pierce County | 946,288 | ▲ 6.4% | 641 MW | 200 MW | 6 | 1 |
| Snohomish County | 870,656 | ▲ 2.5% | 125 MW | 25 MW | 9 | 1 |
| Yakima County | 259,185 | ▼ 0.4% | 194 MW | 80 MW | 1 | 1 |
More of Washington
King County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in King County, Washington?
7 utilities have service territory in King County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Puget Sound Energy Inc, City of Seattle - (WA), City of Tacoma - (WA), PUD No 1 of Chelan County. The largest, Puget Sound Energy Inc, charged residential customers 14.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Seattle, WA in?
Seattle is in King County, Washington. About 784,777 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bellevue, WA in?
Bellevue is in King County, Washington. About 154,193 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kent, WA in?
Kent is in King County, Washington. About 134,871 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in King County?
12 operating plants with 167 MW of capacity. The largest is Snoqualmie 2 (39 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in King County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 45 data centers in King County.
Is King County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,436,484 jobs in 2025 against 1,433,618 in 2019 (+0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 74,731 to 68,276.
Does King County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for King County. Washington has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.