Spokane County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Spokane, Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake
Spokane County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Spokane County, 6% of Washington's total. Spokane County is home to Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Cheney. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Four-month data center moratorium”. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. Construction employs 13,535, up 6.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Spokane County
Spokane County is home to Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Cheney.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Country Homes, Fairchild AFB, Fairwood, Four Lakes, Green Bluff, Mead, Otis Orchards-East Farms, Town and Country.
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 Spokane County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 541,144 | 558,344 | ▲ 3.2% | 4th of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 228,502 | 243,704 | ▲ 6.7% | 8th of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,234 | $68,949 | ▲ 37.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,751 | 13,535 | ▲ 6.1% | 17th of 33 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,342 | 1,557 | ▲ 16.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 190 | 392 | ▲ 106.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 4.1% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 1,557, up 16.0% since 2019 against up 6.1% statewide, at an average $80,130 a year. Owners plan to retire 62 MW more by 2035, led by Northeast (WA) in 2035. Employers here counted 243,704 jobs in 2025, up 6.7% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 39 Washington counties). Its power plants have 192 MW of capacity, 45% of it natural gas. Avista Corp is the largest utility serving Spokane County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.87¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. 558,344 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020, 4th of 39 Washington counties by population.
Who powers Spokane County
Utilities with service territory in Spokane County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avista Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 246,055 | 11.87¢ | 37% |
| Inland Power & Light Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 41,684 | 8.98¢ | 20% |
| Vera Irrigation District #15 | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 12,171 | 9.18¢ | 33% |
| Modern Electric Water Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,181 | 7.43¢ | 55% |
| Kootenai Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 92 | 10.87¢ | 9% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 56% |
| City of Cheney - (WA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 86 MW | 45% |
| Hydro | 80 MW | 42% |
| Other technologies | 26 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast (WA) | Avista Corp | Natural gas | 62 MW | 1978 |
| Nine Mile | Avista Corp | Hydro | 38 MW | 1908 |
| Spokane Waste to Energy | City of Spokane - (WA) | Other technologies | 26 MW | 1991 |
| Boulder Park | Avista Corp | Natural gas | 25 MW | 2002 |
| Upriver Dam Hydro Plant | City of Spokane - (WA) | Hydro | 18 MW | 1936 |
| Monroe Street | Avista Corp | Hydro | 15 MW | 1992 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast (WA) | Natural gas | 62 MW | 2035 |
The Spokane County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 243,704 | $68,949 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 13,535 | $74,306 | 1.05 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,557 | $80,130 | 0.89 |
| Data processing and hosting | 392 | $118,202 | 0.52 |
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 Spokane County
7 data centers in Spokane County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-08 |
Spokane County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Spokane County, Pend Oreille 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane County | 558,344 | ▲ 6.7% | 192 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Benewah County ID | 10,508 | ▼ 1.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Bonner County ID | 54,420 | ▲ 11.5% | 307 MW | — | — | — |
| Kootenai County ID | 191,864 | ▲ 12.3% | 486 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Lincoln County | 11,982 | ▼ 0.6% | 113 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pend Oreille County | 14,457 | ▲ 2.2% | 1,250 MW | — | — | — |
| Stevens County | 49,668 | ▲ 3.9% | 61 MW | — | — | — |
| Whitman County | 48,512 | ▼ 0.1% | 920 MW | — | — | — |
More of Washington
Spokane County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Spokane County, Washington?
7 utilities have service territory in Spokane County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Avista Corp, Inland Power & Light Company, Vera Irrigation District #15, Modern Electric Water Company. The largest, Avista Corp, charged residential customers 11.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Spokane, WA in?
Spokane is in Spokane County, Washington. About 230,783 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Spokane Valley, WA in?
Spokane Valley is in Spokane County, Washington. About 108,405 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Liberty Lake, WA in?
Liberty Lake is in Spokane County, Washington. About 14,029 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Spokane County?
7 operating plants with 192 MW of capacity. The largest is Northeast (WA) (62 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Spokane County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Spokane County.
Is Spokane County adding jobs?
Employers counted 243,704 jobs in 2025 against 228,502 in 2019 (+6.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 12,751 to 13,535.
Does Spokane County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Spokane County, 1 in force.