Ramsey County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Paul, Maplewood and Roseville
Ramsey County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 9 data centers in Ramsey County, 8% of Minnesota's total. Ramsey County is home to St. Paul, Maplewood, Roseville and Shoreview. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,716, up 31.9% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $124,502 a year. Construction employs 11,898, up 7.4% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Ramsey County
Ramsey County is home to St. Paul, Maplewood, Roseville and Shoreview.
- White Bear Lake also extends into Washington County.
- St. Anthony also extends into Hennepin County.
- Spring Lake Park also extends into Anoka County.
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 Ramsey County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 551,733 | 541,623 | ▼ 1.8% | 2nd of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 335,159 | 330,908 | ▼ 1.3% | 50th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $64,967 | $81,311 | ▲ 25.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,082 | 11,898 | ▲ 7.4% | 40th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,301 | 1,716 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 540 | 886 | ▲ 64.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 5.0% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 701 MW of capacity, 92% of it natural gas. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Ramsey County, one of 3 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 330,908 jobs in 2025, down 1.3% from 2019. 541,623 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020, 2nd of 87 Minnesota counties by population.
Who powers Ramsey County
Utilities with service territory in Ramsey 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% |
| Connexus Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 134,095 | 13.66¢ | 30% |
| City of North St Paul - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 644 MW | 92% |
| Other technologies | 37 MW | 5% |
| Hydro | 18 MW | 3% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Bridge | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Natural gas | 644 MW | 2008 |
| St Paul Cogeneration | St Paul Cogeneration LLC | Other technologies | 37 MW | 2003 |
| Twin Cities Hydro LLC | Twin Cities Hydro LLC | Hydro | 18 MW | 1924 |
| MNDOT Standby Generation | State of Minnesota Department of Administration | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1995 |
The Ramsey County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 330,908 | $81,311 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 11,898 | $105,555 | 0.68 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,716 | $124,502 | 0.72 |
| Data processing and hosting | 886 | $143,940 | 0.86 |
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 Ramsey County
9 data centers in Ramsey County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Ramsey County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Ramsey County, Hennepin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsey County | 541,623 | ▼ 1.3% | 701 MW | — | 9 | — |
| Anoka County | 381,605 | ▲ 4.3% | 17 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Dakota County | 457,710 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,065 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Hennepin County | 1,284,784 | ▼ 1.9% | 696 MW | — | 48 | — |
| Washington County | 286,895 | ▲ 9.3% | 924 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
More of Minnesota
Ramsey County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Ramsey County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Connexus Energy, City of North St Paul - (MN). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is St. Paul, MN in?
St. Paul is in Ramsey County, Minnesota. About 306,684 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Maplewood, MN in?
Maplewood is in Ramsey County, Minnesota. About 40,717 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Roseville, MN in?
Roseville is in Ramsey County, Minnesota. About 35,663 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ramsey County?
4 operating plants with 701 MW of capacity. The largest is High Bridge (644 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Ramsey County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 9 data centers in Ramsey County.
Is Ramsey County adding jobs?
Employers counted 330,908 jobs in 2025 against 335,159 in 2019 (-1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 11,082 to 11,898.
Does Ramsey County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ramsey County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.