Hot Springs County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Thermopolis
Hot Springs County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Hot Springs County is home to Thermopolis. Next door, Fremont County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,897 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Hot Springs County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.44¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.98¢ median for Wyoming utilities.
Cities and towns in Hot Springs County
Hot Springs County is home to Thermopolis.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lucerne, Owl Creek.
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 Hot Springs County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,621 | 4,600 | ▼ 0.5% | 22nd of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,860 | 1,897 | ▲ 2.0% | 11th of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,461 | $49,161 | ▲ 27.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
4,600 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Hot Springs County
Utilities with service territory in Hot Springs County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 118,130 | 13.44¢ | 16% |
| High Plains Power Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,767 | 13.71¢ | 5% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 77% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Hot Springs County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Hot Springs County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,897 | $49,161 | 1.00 |
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 Hot Springs County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hot Springs County. Wyoming has 2 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Park County.
Hot Springs County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Hot Springs County, Fremont 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs County | 4,600 | ▲ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Fremont County | 39,464 | ▲ 1.6% | 31 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Park County | 31,171 | ▲ 1.8% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Washakie County | 7,597 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Wyoming
Hot Springs County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hot Springs County, Wyoming?
3 utilities have service territory in Hot Springs County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, High Plains Power Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 13.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Hot Springs County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hot Springs County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Fremont County.
Is Hot Springs County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,897 jobs in 2025 against 1,860 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hot Springs County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hot Springs County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.