Dickinson County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Iron Mountain, Breitung Township and Kingsford
Dickinson 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. Dickinson County is home to Iron Mountain, Breitung Township, Kingsford and Norway. Construction employs 1,410, down 27.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 90 MW of capacity, 62% of it other technologies. Upper Peninsula Power Company is the largest utility serving Dickinson County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 27.64¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. Employers here counted 13,696 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019.
Cities and towns in Dickinson County
Dickinson County is home to Iron Mountain, Breitung Township, Kingsford and Norway.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Quinnesec.
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 Dickinson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,896 | 25,827 | ▼ 0.3% | 55th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,699 | 13,696 | ● 0.0% | 45th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,668 | $60,203 | ▲ 23.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,942 | 1,410 | ▼ 27.4% | 67th of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.4% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 25,827 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Dickinson County
Utilities with service territory in Dickinson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Peninsula Power Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 47,660 | 27.64¢ | 20% |
| Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 33,252 | 14.76¢ | 7% |
| Alger-Delta Coop Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,817 | 23.25¢ | 12% |
| City of Norway | Municipal | Bundled | 1,995 | 17.06¢ | 41% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 56 MW | 62% |
| Hydro | 34 MW | 38% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billerud Quinnesec Mill | Billerud Quinnesec Mill | Other technologies | 56 MW | 1985 |
| Big Quinnesec 92 | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Hydro | 16 MW | 1949 |
| Kingsford | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Hydro | 7 MW | 1924 |
| Norway (MI) | City of Norway - (MI) | Hydro | 6 MW | 1905 |
| Big Quinnesec 61 | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Hydro | 4 MW | 1914 |
The Dickinson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,696 | $60,203 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,410 | $93,100 | 1.94 |
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 Dickinson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dickinson County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Dickinson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Dickinson County, Marquette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County | 25,827 | ● 0.0% | 90 MW | — | — | — |
| Florence County WI | 4,748 | ▼ 8.3% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Iron County | 11,757 | ▼ 9.9% | 27 MW | — | — | — |
| Marinette County WI | 42,574 | ▼ 3.8% | 303 MW | — | — | — |
| Marquette County | 68,064 | ▲ 1.0% | 224 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Menominee County | 22,941 | ▼ 3.3% | 25 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Dickinson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dickinson County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in Dickinson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Upper Peninsula Power Company, Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp., Alger-Delta Coop Electric Assn, City of Norway. The largest, Upper Peninsula Power Company, charged residential customers 27.64¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Dickinson County?
5 operating plants with 90 MW of capacity. The largest is Billerud Quinnesec Mill (56 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Dickinson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dickinson County.
Is Dickinson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,696 jobs in 2025 against 13,699 in 2019 (-0.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,942 to 1,410.
Does Dickinson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dickinson County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.