Skagit County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mount Vernon, Anacortes and Sedro-Woolley
Skagit County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Skagit County is home to Mount Vernon, Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley and Burlington. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Six-month data center moratorium”. Construction employs 4,374, down 3.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Its power plants have 648 MW of capacity, 80% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Skagit County
Skagit County is home to Mount Vernon, Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley and Burlington.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alger, Bay View, Big Lake, Bow, Clear Lake, Conway, Edison, Lake Cavanaugh, Lake McMurray, Marblemount, Rockport.
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 Skagit County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 129,885 | 132,975 | ▲ 2.4% | 11th of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52,709 | 54,140 | ▲ 2.7% | 18th of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,278 | $68,826 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,544 | 4,374 | ▼ 3.7% | 26th of 33 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,076 | 976 | ▼ 9.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40 | 40 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 4.8% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 54,140 jobs in 2025, up 2.7% from 2019. Puget Sound Energy Inc is the largest utility serving Skagit County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. Electrical contractors employ 976, down 9.3% since 2019 against up 6.1% statewide, at an average $123,679 a year. 132,975 people live here, up 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Skagit County
Utilities with service territory in Skagit 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% |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 516 MW | 80% |
| Hydro | 104 MW | 16% |
| Other technologies | 28 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fredonia (WA) | Puget Sound Energy Inc | Natural gas | 376 MW | 1984 |
| HF Sinclair Puget Sound Refining | HF Sinclair Corporation | Natural gas | 140 MW | 1991 |
| Lower Baker | Puget Sound Energy Inc | Hydro | 104 MW | 1960 |
| Sierra Pacific Burlington Facility | Sierra Pacific Industries | Other technologies | 28 MW | 2007 |
The Skagit County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 54,140 | $68,826 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,374 | $92,855 | 1.52 |
| Electrical contractors | 976 | $123,679 | 2.50 |
| Data processing and hosting | 40 | $148,666 | 0.24 |
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 Skagit County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Skagit County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Skagit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skagit County | 132,975 | ▲ 2.7% | 648 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Chelan County | 81,941 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,905 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Okanogan County | 45,230 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Snohomish County | 870,656 | ▲ 2.5% | 125 MW | 25 MW | 9 | 1 |
| Whatcom County | 236,392 | ▲ 1.7% | 1,719 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of Washington
Skagit County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Skagit County, Washington?
2 utilities have service territory in Skagit County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Puget Sound Energy Inc, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, Puget Sound Energy Inc, charged residential customers 14.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Mount Vernon, WA in?
Mount Vernon is in Skagit County, Washington. About 35,193 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Anacortes, WA in?
Anacortes is in Skagit County, Washington. About 18,080 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Sedro-Woolley, WA in?
Sedro-Woolley is in Skagit County, Washington. About 13,308 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Skagit County?
4 operating plants with 648 MW of capacity. The largest is Fredonia (WA) (376 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Skagit County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Skagit County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Snohomish County.
Is Skagit County adding jobs?
Employers counted 54,140 jobs in 2025 against 52,709 in 2019 (+2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,544 to 4,374.
Does Skagit County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Skagit County, 1 in force.