Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Madison and Dawson
Lac qui Parle 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. Lac qui Parle County is home to Madison and Dawson. Employers here counted 2,145 jobs in 2025, down 3.3% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Lac qui Parle County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 6,704 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Lac qui Parle County
Lac qui Parle County is home to Madison and Dawson.
And 4 smaller places.
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 Lac qui Parle County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,692 | 6,704 | ▲ 0.2% | 76th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,219 | 2,145 | ▼ 3.3% | 64th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,843 | $48,079 | ▲ 30.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 91 | 96 | ▲ 5.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
Who powers Lac qui Parle County
Utilities with service territory in Lac qui Parle County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,230,057 | 16.98¢ | 44% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,931 | 12.22¢ | 8% |
| H-D Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Madison - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
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 Lac qui Parle County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lac qui Parle County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,145 | $48,079 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 96 | $57,935 | 0.84 |
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 Lac qui Parle County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lac qui Parle County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Lac qui Parle County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lac qui Parle County, Deuel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,704 | ▼ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Big Stone County | 5,054 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 12,406 | ▼ 10.6% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Deuel County SD | 4,408 | ▲ 14.4% | 803 MW | 145 MW | — | — |
| Grant County SD | 7,534 | ▼ 2.5% | 915 MW | — | — | — |
| Swift County | 9,763 | ▲ 2.2% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,477 | ▼ 10.9% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Lac qui Parle County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Lac qui Parle County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn, H-D Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Lac qui Parle County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lac qui Parle County.
Is Lac qui Parle County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,145 jobs in 2025 against 2,219 in 2019 (-3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 91 to 96.
Does Lac qui Parle County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lac qui Parle County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.