Steele County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Owatonna, Blooming Prairie and Medford
The data center boom is not abstract in Steele County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Steele County. Steele County is home to Owatonna, Blooming Prairie, Medford and Medford Township. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 19,168 jobs in 2025, down 11.9% from 2019. Construction employs 560, up 9.4% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Steele County
Steele County is home to Owatonna, Blooming Prairie, Medford and Medford Township.
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 Steele County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,388 | 37,464 | ▲ 0.2% | 28th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,745 | 19,168 | ▼ 11.9% | 85th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,917 | $63,201 | ▲ 34.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 512 | 560 | ▲ 9.4% | 37th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 142 | 146 | ▲ 2.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 5.6% | ▲ 2.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 146, up 2.8% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $93,947 a year. Its power plants have 125 MW of capacity, 46% of it natural gas. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Steele County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 37,464 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Steele County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Steele 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% |
| Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,842 | 15.15¢ | 28% |
| City of Owatonna - (MN) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,434 | 15.27¢ | 15% |
| Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,725 | 15.63¢ | 20% |
| City of Blooming Prairie - (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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 58 MW | 46% |
| Wind | 44 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 14 MW | 12% |
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Glen Wind Farm | Minnesota Municipal Power Agny | Wind | 44 MW | 2011 |
| Owatonna Energy Station | Southern Minnesota Mun P Agny | Natural gas | 39 MW | 2018 |
| Owatonna | City of Owatonna - (MN) | Natural gas | 19 MW | 1982 |
| Blooming Prairie | City of Blooming Prairie - (MN) | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1974 |
| Lemond Solar | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| CF Novel Solar CSG Gardens Five, LLC | SunStrong Management, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
The Steele County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,168 | $63,201 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 560 | $75,529 | 0.55 |
| Electrical contractors | 146 | $93,947 | 1.06 |
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 Steele County
2 data centers in Steele County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Steele County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Steele County, Dodge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steele County | 37,464 | ▼ 11.9% | 125 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Dodge County | 21,376 | ▼ 1.1% | 76 MW | 228 MW | — | — |
| Freeborn County | 30,440 | ▼ 3.0% | 428 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Mower County | 40,971 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,145 MW | — | — | — |
| Rice County | 69,939 | ▲ 3.5% | 404 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Waseca County | 18,688 | ▼ 9.9% | 38 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Steele County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Steele County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Steele County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative, City of Owatonna - (MN), Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Owatonna, MN in?
Owatonna is in Steele County, Minnesota. About 26,633 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Steele County?
12 operating plants with 125 MW of capacity. The largest is Oak Glen Wind Farm (44 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Steele County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Steele County.
Is Steele County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,168 jobs in 2025 against 21,745 in 2019 (-11.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 512 to 560.
Does Steele County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Steele County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.