Norman County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ada
No data center or power plant project is on record in Norman County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Norman County is home to Ada, Twin Valley and Halstad. Employers here counted 1,874 jobs in 2025, up 18.5% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 87 Minnesota counties). Next door, Cass County, North Dakota, has 7 data centers. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Norman 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.
Cities and towns in Norman County
Norman County is home to Ada, Twin Valley and Halstad.
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 Norman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,438 | 6,336 | ▼ 1.6% | 77th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,582 | 1,874 | ▲ 18.5% | 1st of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,185 | $56,723 | ▲ 44.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. 6,336 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Norman County
Utilities with service territory in Norman 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% |
| City of Ada - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Halstad - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Shelly - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Red River Valley Coop Pwr Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halstad | City of Halstad - (MN) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2007 |
The Norman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,874 | $56,723 | 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 Norman County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Norman County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Cass County.
Norman County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Norman County, Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norman County | 6,336 | ▲ 18.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Becker County | 35,497 | ▲ 4.9% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County ND | 201,794 | ▲ 7.1% | 4 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Clay County | 67,734 | ▲ 1.0% | 78 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Mahnomen County | 5,153 | ▲ 9.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 30,545 | ▼ 1.2% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Traill County ND | 7,920 | ▲ 4.9% | 17 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Norman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Norman County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Norman County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, City of Ada - (MN), City of Halstad - (MN). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Norman County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Halstad (4 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Norman County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Norman County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cass County.
Is Norman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,874 jobs in 2025 against 1,582 in 2019 (+18.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Norman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Norman County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.