St. Louis County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Duluth, Hibbing and Hermantown
The data center boom is not abstract in St. Louis County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in St. Louis County, 6% of Minnesota's total. St. Louis County is home to Duluth, Hibbing, Hermantown and Virginia. Electrical contractors employ 460, up 39.4% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $93,382 a year. Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 37 MW has retired here since 2019, including Virginia (natural gas, 26 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in St. Louis County
St. Louis County is home to Duluth, Hibbing, Hermantown and Virginia.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Mahnomen, Nett Lake, Soudan.
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 St. Louis County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 200,067 | 200,518 | ▲ 0.2% | 6th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 98,406 | 95,078 | ▼ 3.4% | 65th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,474 | $62,615 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,388 | 4,249 | ▼ 3.2% | 56th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 330 | 460 | ▲ 39.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 5.4% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 37 MW | — |
Construction employs 4,249, down 3.2% since 2019. 7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 269 MW of capacity, 56% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 95,078 jobs in 2025, down 3.4% from 2019. ALLETE, Inc. is the largest utility serving St. Louis County, one of 12 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 200,518 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020, 6th of 87 Minnesota counties by population.
Who powers St. Louis County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −30 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in St. Louis County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| Lake Country Power | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,204 | 17.90¢ | 17% |
| City of Biwabik - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Buhl - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cooperative L&P Assn Lake County | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Ely - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Gilbert | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hibbing Public Utilities Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 152 MW | 56% |
| Other technologies | 73 MW | 27% |
| Wind | 25 MW | 9% |
| Hydro | 12 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 7 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syl Laskin | ALLETE, Inc. | Natural gas | 116 MW | 1953 |
| M L Hibbard | ALLETE, Inc. | Other technologies | 73 MW | 1949 |
| Hibbing | Hibbing Public Utilities Comm | Natural gas | 36 MW | 1965 |
| Taconite Ridge 1 Wind Energy Center | ALLETE, Inc. | Wind | 25 MW | 2008 |
| Fond Du Lac | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 12 MW | 1924 |
| Laskin Solar | ALLETE, Inc. | Solar | 6 MW | 2022 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | Natural gas | 26 MW | 2022 |
| Duluth Paper Mill | Other technologies | 11 MW | 2020 |
The St. Louis County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 95,078 | $62,615 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,249 | $83,333 | 0.84 |
| Electrical contractors | 460 | $93,382 | 0.67 |
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 St. Louis County
7 data centers in St. Louis County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
St. Louis County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border St. Louis County, Itasca 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 200,518 | ▼ 3.4% | 269 MW | — | 7 | — |
| Aitkin County | 16,252 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Carlton County | 36,711 | ▼ 0.5% | 182 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Douglas County WI | 43,990 | ▼ 0.7% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Itasca County | 45,404 | ▲ 1.4% | 956 MW | — | — | — |
| Koochiching County | 11,587 | ▼ 8.0% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 10,746 | ▼ 4.9% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
St. Louis County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Louis County, Minnesota?
12 utilities have service territory in St. Louis County in the EIA-861 2024 report: ALLETE, Inc., Lake Country Power, City of Biwabik - (MN), City of Buhl - (MN). The largest, ALLETE, Inc., charged residential customers 15.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Duluth, MN in?
Duluth is in St. Louis County, Minnesota. About 88,330 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hibbing, MN in?
Hibbing is in St. Louis County, Minnesota. About 15,823 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hermantown, MN in?
Hermantown is in St. Louis County, Minnesota. About 10,110 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in St. Louis County?
7 operating plants with 269 MW of capacity. The largest is Syl Laskin (116 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in St. Louis County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in St. Louis County.
Is St. Louis County adding jobs?
Employers counted 95,078 jobs in 2025 against 98,406 in 2019 (-3.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,388 to 4,249.
Does St. Louis County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for St. Louis County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.