Pend Oreille County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newport
Pend Oreille County hosts some of the generating capacity Washington runs on. Pend Oreille County is home to Newport. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 7.8% in 2019. Next door, Spokane County has 7 data centers. Its power plants have 1,250 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro, the 10th largest fleet in Washington. Construction employs 138, up 3.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Pend Oreille County
Pend Oreille County is home to Newport.
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 Pend Oreille County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,505 | 14,457 | ▲ 7.0% | 33rd of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,117 | 3,187 | ▲ 2.2% | 23rd of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,371 | $67,182 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 134 | 138 | ▲ 3.0% | 19th of 33 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.8% | 4.9% | ▼ 2.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 3,187 jobs in 2025, up 2.2% from 2019. Avista Corp is the largest utility serving Pend Oreille County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.87¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. 14,457 people live here, up 7.0% since 2020.
Who powers Pend Oreille County
Utilities with service territory in Pend Oreille County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avista Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 246,055 | 11.87¢ | 37% |
| PUD No 1 of Pend Oreille County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 9,120 | 8.59¢ | 71% |
| Northern Lights, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14 | 12.02¢ | 0% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 56% |
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 | 1,250 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary | City of Seattle - (WA) | Hydro | 1,160 MW | 1967 |
| Box Canyon | PUD No 1 of Pend Oreille County - (WA) | Hydro | 90 MW | 1955 |
The Pend Oreille County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,187 | $67,182 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 138 | $53,681 | 0.82 |
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 Pend Oreille County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pend Oreille County. Washington has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Spokane County.
Pend Oreille County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Pend Oreille County, Spokane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pend Oreille County | 14,457 | ▲ 2.2% | 1,250 MW | — | — | — |
| Bonner County ID | 54,420 | ▲ 11.5% | 307 MW | — | — | — |
| Boundary County ID | 13,997 | ▲ 11.7% | 42 MW | — | — | — |
| Spokane County | 558,344 | ▲ 6.7% | 192 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Stevens County | 49,668 | ▲ 3.9% | 61 MW | — | — | — |
More of Washington
Pend Oreille County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pend Oreille County, Washington?
4 utilities have service territory in Pend Oreille County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Avista Corp, PUD No 1 of Pend Oreille County, Northern Lights, Inc, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, Avista Corp, charged residential customers 11.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pend Oreille County?
2 operating plants with 1,250 MW of capacity. The largest is Boundary (1,160 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Pend Oreille County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pend Oreille County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Spokane County.
Is Pend Oreille County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,187 jobs in 2025 against 3,117 in 2019 (+2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 134 to 138.
Does Pend Oreille County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pend Oreille County. Washington has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.