Mahnomen County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mahnomen
Mahnomen 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. Mahnomen County is home to Mahnomen, Twin Lakes Township and Pembina Township. Next door, Polk County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 6.6% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,028 jobs in 2025, up 9.5% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 87 Minnesota counties). Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Mahnomen County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.33¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities.
Cities and towns in Mahnomen County
Mahnomen County is home to Mahnomen, Twin Lakes Township and Pembina Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beaulieu, Midway, Naytahwaush, Pine Bend, Riverland, Roy Lake, The Ranch, Twin Lakes, West Roy Lake.
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 Mahnomen County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,373 | 5,153 | ▼ 4.1% | 82nd of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,852 | 2,028 | ▲ 9.5% | 5th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,599 | $53,823 | ▲ 43.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 6.6% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
5,153 people live here, down 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers Mahnomen County
Utilities with service territory in Mahnomen 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% |
| Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,948 | 14.35¢ | 20% |
| Clearwater-Polk Elec 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 Mahnomen County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Mahnomen County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,028 | $53,823 | 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 Mahnomen County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mahnomen County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Mahnomen County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Mahnomen County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahnomen County | 5,153 | ▲ 9.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Becker County | 35,497 | ▲ 4.9% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Clearwater County | 8,647 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Norman County | 6,336 | ▲ 18.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 30,545 | ▼ 1.2% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Minnesota
Mahnomen County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mahnomen County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Mahnomen County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc, Clearwater-Polk Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 11.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Mahnomen County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mahnomen County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Polk County.
Is Mahnomen County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,028 jobs in 2025 against 1,852 in 2019 (+9.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Mahnomen County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mahnomen County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.