Polk County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to East Grand Forks, Crookston and Fosston
Polk County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Polk County. Polk County is home to East Grand Forks, Crookston, Fosston and Fertile. Construction employs 524, up 28.1% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 59, up 15.7% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $78,525 a year. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Polk County
Polk County is home to East Grand Forks, Crookston, Fosston and Fertile.
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 Polk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 31,099 | 30,545 | ▼ 1.8% | 35th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,152 | 12,003 | ▼ 1.2% | 47th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,064 | $56,767 | ▲ 35.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 409 | 524 | ▲ 28.1% | 13th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 51 | 59 | ▲ 15.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 14 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Polk County, one of 11 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Employers here counted 12,003 jobs in 2025, down 1.2% from 2019. 30,545 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Polk County
Utilities with service territory in Polk 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% |
| Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,948 | 14.35¢ | 20% |
| Clearwater-Polk Elec Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of East Grand Forks - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Fosston - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Nielsville - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| P K M 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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 14 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Crystal Sugar East Grand Forks | American Crystal Sugar Co | Coal | 8 MW | 1990 |
| American Crystal Sugar Crookston | American Crystal Sugar Co | Coal | 6 MW | 1954 |
The Polk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,003 | $56,767 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 524 | $88,537 | 0.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 59 | $78,525 | 0.68 |
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 Polk County
1 data center in Polk County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Polk County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Polk County, Grand Forks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 30,545 | ▼ 1.2% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Clearwater County | 8,647 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Forks County ND | 74,501 | ▲ 3.1% | — | — | 3 | — |
| Mahnomen County | 5,153 | ▲ 9.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 8,798 | ▲ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Norman County | 6,336 | ▲ 18.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Pennington County | 13,686 | ▼ 7.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Red Lake County | 3,940 | ▼ 7.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Traill County ND | 7,920 | ▲ 4.9% | 17 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Polk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Polk County, Minnesota?
11 utilities have service territory in Polk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc, Clearwater-Polk Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Polk County?
2 operating plants with 14 MW of capacity. The largest is American Crystal Sugar East Grand Forks (8 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Polk County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Polk County.
Is Polk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,003 jobs in 2025 against 12,152 in 2019 (-1.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 409 to 524.
Does Polk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Polk County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.