Stearns County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Cloud, Sartell and Waite Park
Stearns County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Stearns County. Stearns County is home to most of St. Cloud (57,657 of its 72,647 residents), most of Sartell (17,776 of its 19,918 residents), Waite Park and St. Joseph. 6 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Baxter Healthcare of Puerto Rico/Jayuya (solar), the 10th largest pipeline among Minnesota's counties. 6 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 5,463, up 18.2% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Stearns County
Stearns County is home to most of St. Cloud (57,657 of its 72,647 residents), most of Sartell (17,776 of its 19,918 residents), Waite Park and St. Joseph.
And 16 smaller places.
- St. Cloud also extends into Sherburne County, Benton County.
- Sartell also extends into Benton County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fairhaven, St. John's University.
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 Stearns County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 158,456 | 164,110 | ▲ 3.6% | 8th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 87,444 | 87,420 | ● 0.0% | 38th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,208 | $65,352 | ▲ 35.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,621 | 5,463 | ▲ 18.2% | 22nd of 72 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 354 | 455 | ▲ 28.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 41 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 6 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 10th of 15 by size |
41 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 192 MW of capacity, 50% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 745, at an average $86,372 a year. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Stearns County, one of 9 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 87,420 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019. 164,110 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020, 8th of 87 Minnesota counties by population.
Who powers Stearns County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +41 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Stearns 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% |
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,714 | 14.59¢ | 30% |
| Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,138 | 13.88¢ | 18% |
| Runestone Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,282 | 14.36¢ | 10% |
| Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,572 | 14.09¢ | 15% |
| Kandiyohi Power Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Melrose Public Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
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 42
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 96 MW | 50% |
| Wind | 78 MW | 41% |
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 5% |
| Hydro | 9 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Oak Wind Farm | Black Oak Wind, LLC | Wind | 78 MW | 2016 |
| Albany Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 10 MW | 2016 |
| Paynesville Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 10 MW | 2016 |
| St. Cloud Hydro | St. Cloud Hydroelectric Generation Facility | Hydro | 9 MW | 1988 |
| Melrose | Melrose Public Utilities | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1945 |
| Held Solar Project | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraemer Garden | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Baxter Healthcare of Puerto Rico/Jayuya |
| Novel Gertken Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Novel Gertken Solar LLC |
| Enterprise MN - Fitzthum | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Standard Solar |
The Stearns County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 87,420 | $65,352 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,463 | $98,528 | 1.18 |
| Electrical contractors | 745 | $86,372 | 1.18 |
| Power and communication line construction | 455 | $101,689 | 3.22 |
| Data processing and hosting | 64 | $99,020 | 0.24 |
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 Stearns County
1 data center in Stearns County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Stearns County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Stearns County, Sherburne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stearns County | 164,110 | ● 0.0% | 192 MW | 6 MW | 1 | — |
| Benton County | 41,744 | ▼ 1.9% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 40,120 | ▲ 1.9% | 17 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Kandiyohi County | 44,720 | ▼ 3.3% | 26 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Meeker County | 23,603 | ▲ 4.5% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Morrison County | 34,620 | ▲ 4.5% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Pope County | 11,420 | ▼ 2.0% | 29 MW | — | — | — |
| Sherburne County | 104,194 | ▲ 8.4% | 2,670 MW | 611 MW | 2 | — |
| Todd County | 26,060 | ▲ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Wright County | 157,559 | ▲ 9.4% | 806 MW | — | — | 2 |
More of Minnesota
Stearns County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stearns County, Minnesota?
9 utilities have service territory in Stearns County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, ALLETE, Inc., Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn, Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is St. Cloud, MN in?
Most of St. Cloud is in Stearns County: 57,657 of its 72,647 residents, or 79%. The rest of the city lies in Sherburne County, Benton County.
What county is Sartell, MN in?
Most of Sartell is in Stearns County: 17,776 of its 19,918 residents, or 89%. The rest of the city lies in Benton County.
What power plants are in Stearns County?
42 operating plants with 192 MW of capacity. The largest is Black Oak Wind Farm (78 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Stearns County?
6 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 6 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Baxter Healthcare of Puerto Rico/Jayuya.
Are there data centers in Stearns County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Stearns County.
Is Stearns County adding jobs?
Employers counted 87,420 jobs in 2025 against 87,444 in 2019 (-0.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,621 to 5,463.
Does Stearns County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stearns County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.