Whitman County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pullman, Colfax and Palouse
Whitman County hosts some of the generating capacity Washington runs on. Whitman County is home to Pullman, Colfax, Palouse and Tekoa. Electrical contractors employ 103, up 49.3% since 2019 against up 6.1% statewide, at an average $99,613 a year. Construction employs 477, up 23.6% since 2019. Next door, Garfield County has 600 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 920 MW of capacity, 88% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Whitman County
Whitman County is home to Pullman, Colfax, Palouse and Tekoa.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Steptoe.
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 Whitman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 47,816 | 48,512 | ▲ 1.5% | 24th of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,904 | 18,880 | ▼ 0.1% | 31st of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,680 | $68,510 | ▲ 35.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 386 | 477 | ▲ 23.6% | 6th of 33 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69 | 103 | ▲ 49.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Avista Corp is the largest utility serving Whitman 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. Employers here counted 18,880 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 48,512 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Whitman County
Utilities with service territory in Whitman 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% |
| Big Bend Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,841 | 9.10¢ | 21% |
| Clearwater Power Company | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 810 MW | 88% |
| Wind | 105 MW | 11% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 0% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Granite | USACE Northwestern Division | Hydro | 810 MW | 1975 |
| Palouse | Onward Energy | Wind | 105 MW | 2012 |
| Grimes Way | Washington State University | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2005 |
| Biotech LS 0836 | Washington State University | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2009 |
The Whitman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,880 | $68,510 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 477 | $64,522 | 0.48 |
| Electrical contractors | 103 | $99,613 | 0.76 |
| Data processing and hosting | 5 | $107,597 | 0.09 |
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 Whitman County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Whitman County. Washington has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Lincoln County, Spokane County.
Whitman County and its neighbors
Of the 10 counties that border Whitman County, Garfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman County | 48,512 | ▼ 0.1% | 920 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 21,488 | ▲ 10.3% | 169 MW | 126 MW | — | — |
| Asotin County | 22,545 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Benewah County ID | 10,508 | ▼ 1.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 4,141 | ▼ 10.8% | 1,467 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 102,612 | ▲ 8.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 2,416 | ▼ 3.0% | 343 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
| Latah County ID | 41,842 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 11,982 | ▼ 0.6% | 113 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Nez Perce County ID | 42,905 | ▲ 3.9% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Spokane County | 558,344 | ▲ 6.7% | 192 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
More of Washington
Whitman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Whitman County, Washington?
4 utilities have service territory in Whitman County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Avista Corp, Inland Power & Light Company, Big Bend Electric Coop, Inc, Clearwater Power Company. The largest, Avista Corp, charged residential customers 11.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pullman, WA in?
Pullman is in Whitman County, Washington. About 33,756 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Whitman County?
4 operating plants with 920 MW of capacity. The largest is Lower Granite (810 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Whitman County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Whitman County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Garfield County.
Is Whitman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,880 jobs in 2025 against 18,904 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 386 to 477.
Does Whitman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Whitman County. Washington has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.