Morrison County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Little Falls, Little Falls Township and Pierz
No data center or power plant project is on record in Morrison County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Morrison County is home to Little Falls, Little Falls Township, Pierz and Scandia Valley Township. Next door, Stearns County has 1 data center. Construction employs 456, up 14.3% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 28, up 21.7% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $68,001 a year. Employers here counted 11,202 jobs in 2025, up 4.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Morrison County
Morrison County is home to Little Falls, Little Falls Township, Pierz and Scandia Valley Township.
And 16 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 Morrison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,991 | 34,620 | ▲ 1.9% | 32nd of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,724 | 11,202 | ▲ 4.5% | 17th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,519 | $49,320 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 399 | 456 | ▲ 14.3% | 26th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23 | 28 | ▲ 21.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 34 MW of capacity, 67% of it hydro. ALLETE, Inc. is the largest utility serving Morrison County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. 34,620 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Morrison County
Utilities with service territory in Morrison County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| East Central Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 55,250 | 16.89¢ | 29% |
| Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light Comp | Cooperative | Bundled | 44,698 | 13.33¢ | 21% |
| Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,138 | 13.88¢ | 18% |
| City of Pierz - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Randall - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 23 MW | 67% |
| Solar | 11 MW | 33% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanchard | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 18 MW | 1925 |
| Camp Ripley Solar | Camp Riley Solar Facility | Solar | 11 MW | 2016 |
| Little Falls (MN) | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 5 MW | 1906 |
The Morrison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,202 | $49,320 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 456 | $66,746 | 0.77 |
| Electrical contractors | 28 | $68,001 | 0.35 |
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 Morrison County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Morrison County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Morrison County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Morrison County, Stearns 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrison County | 34,620 | ▲ 4.5% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 41,744 | ▼ 1.9% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 31,430 | ▲ 0.7% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Crow Wing County | 69,132 | ▲ 4.6% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Mille Lacs County | 27,753 | ▼ 2.4% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Stearns County | 164,110 | ● 0.0% | 192 MW | 6 MW | 1 | — |
| Todd County | 26,060 | ▲ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Morrison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Morrison County, Minnesota?
7 utilities have service territory in Morrison County in the EIA-861 2024 report: ALLETE, Inc., East Central Energy, Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light Comp, Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn. The largest, ALLETE, Inc., charged residential customers 15.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Morrison County?
3 operating plants with 34 MW of capacity. The largest is Blanchard (18 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Morrison County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Morrison County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stearns County.
Is Morrison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,202 jobs in 2025 against 10,724 in 2019 (+4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 399 to 456.
Does Morrison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Morrison County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.