Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Angle Inlet
Lake of the Woods 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. Lake of the Woods County is home to Baudette. Employers here counted 1,520 jobs in 2025, down 11.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 6.0% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. City of Baudette - (MN) is the largest utility serving Lake of the Woods County, one of 3 with territory here. 3,770 people live here, up 0.0% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Lake of the Woods County
Lake of the Woods County is home to Baudette.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Angle Inlet.
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 Lake of the Woods County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,770 | 3,770 | ● 0.0% | 86th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,718 | 1,520 | ▼ 11.5% | 84th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,683 | $58,013 | ▲ 58.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 6.0% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
Who powers Lake of the Woods County
Utilities with service territory in Lake of the Woods County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Baudette - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Star Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Roseau Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Lake of the Woods County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lake of the Woods County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,520 | $58,013 | 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 Lake of the Woods County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lake of the Woods County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Lake of the Woods County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Lake of the Woods County, Beltrami 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake of the Woods County | 3,770 | ▼ 11.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Beltrami County | 47,055 | ▲ 2.5% | 51 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Koochiching County | 11,587 | ▼ 8.0% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Roseau County | 15,246 | ▼ 1.8% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Lake of the Woods County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Lake of the Woods County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Baudette - (MN), North Star Electric Coop, Inc, Roseau Electric Coop, Inc.
Are there data centers in Lake of the Woods County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lake of the Woods County.
Is Lake of the Woods County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,520 jobs in 2025 against 1,718 in 2019 (-11.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lake of the Woods County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lake of the Woods County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.