Google The Dalles Campus

The Dalles sits on the Columbia River in north-central Oregon with an iconic place in data center history — Google built its first true hyperscaler campus here in 2006, drawn by abundant Bonneville Power Administration hydroelectricity and rural land. The broader economy is agriculture (cherries, pears), Columbia River shipping, and tourism, with Google now a defining employer.

BLS does not publish MSA-level wage data for The Dalles, but the regional Pacific Northwest pattern shows trades wages strongly anchored by Oregon prevailing wage rules and the construction shortage driven by data center expansion across the broader Columbia River corridor. Electrician work is union-influenced; HVAC and facility operations roles have steady premium availability.

For a trades worker, The Dalles is a small but storied hyperscaler market — Google's anchor campus drives outsized opportunity for skilled trades in a tiny labor pool. Best fit for IBEW electricians, HVAC technicians, and facility ops staff willing to relocate to a small Columbia Gorge town for stable, well-paid work. Cost of living is moderate; quality of life is exceptional for outdoor-oriented workers.