Becker County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Detroit Lakes, Detroit Township and Lake View Township
Becker 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. Becker County is home to Detroit Lakes, Detroit Township, Lake View Township and Lake Eunice Township. Construction employs 778, up 16.8% since 2019. Next door, Clay County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 15,368 jobs in 2025, up 4.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 12 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Becker County
Becker County is home to Detroit Lakes, Detroit Township, Lake View Township and Lake Eunice Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Elbow Lake, Osage, Pine Point, White Earth.
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 Becker County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 35,184 | 35,497 | ▲ 0.9% | 31st of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,646 | 15,368 | ▲ 4.9% | 12th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,552 | $54,981 | ▲ 35.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 666 | 778 | ▲ 16.8% | 23rd of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Becker County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.33¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 35,497 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Becker County
Utilities with service territory in Becker County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Lake Region Electric Cooperative - (MN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 27,239 | 13.28¢ | 26% |
| Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,948 | 14.35¢ | 20% |
| Itasca-Mantrap Co-op Electrical Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,200 | 13.44¢ | 7% |
| City of Detroit Lakes - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lake Park - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Todd-Wadena Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lakes | City of Detroit Lakes - (MN) | Petroleum | 12 MW | 1968 |
The Becker County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,368 | $54,981 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 778 | $72,727 | 0.96 |
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 Becker County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Becker County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Becker County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Becker County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becker County | 35,497 | ▲ 4.9% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 67,734 | ▲ 1.0% | 78 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Clearwater County | 8,647 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Hubbard County | 22,369 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Mahnomen County | 5,153 | ▲ 9.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Norman County | 6,336 | ▲ 18.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Otter Tail County | 61,041 | ▼ 1.1% | 53 MW | — | — | — |
| Wadena County | 14,388 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Becker County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Becker County, Minnesota?
7 utilities have service territory in Becker County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Lake Region Electric Cooperative - (MN), Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc, Itasca-Mantrap Co-op Electrical Assn. The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 11.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Detroit Lakes, MN in?
Detroit Lakes is in Becker County, Minnesota. About 10,019 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Becker County?
1 operating plant with 12 MW of capacity. The largest is Detroit Lakes (12 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Becker County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Becker County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Becker County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,368 jobs in 2025 against 14,646 in 2019 (+4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 666 to 778.
Does Becker County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Becker County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.