Stevens County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morris
Stevens County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Stevens County is home to Morris and Hancock. Next door, Douglas County has 1 data center. Construction employs 220, up 6.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 5,774 jobs in 2025, up 4.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Stevens County
Stevens County is home to Morris and Hancock.
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 Stevens County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,672 | 9,747 | ▲ 0.8% | 69th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,517 | 5,774 | ▲ 4.7% | 13th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,500 | $67,018 | ▲ 38.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 207 | 220 | ▲ 6.3% | 41st of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 77% of it wind. Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Stevens County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.33¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 9,747 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Stevens County
Utilities with service territory in Stevens County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Runestone Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,282 | 14.36¢ | 10% |
| Agralite Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,333 | 13.94¢ | 28% |
| Traverse Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 3 MW | 77% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 23% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMM Wind Turbine | University of Minnesota Morris Campus | Wind | 2 MW | 2011 |
| WCROC Wind Farm | University of Minnesota WCROC | Wind | 2 MW | 2005 |
| Stevens Community Medical Center | Stevens Community Medical Center | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2004 |
The Stevens County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,774 | $67,018 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 220 | $98,307 | 0.72 |
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 Stevens County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stevens County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Stevens County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Stevens County, Douglas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens County | 9,747 | ▲ 4.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Big Stone County | 5,054 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 40,120 | ▲ 1.9% | 17 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Grant County | 6,085 | ● 0.0% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Pope County | 11,420 | ▼ 2.0% | 29 MW | — | — | — |
| Swift County | 9,763 | ▲ 2.2% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Traverse County | 3,130 | ▼ 13.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Stevens County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stevens County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Stevens County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Runestone Electric Assn, Agralite Electric Coop, Traverse Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 11.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Stevens County?
3 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is UMM Wind Turbine (2 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Stevens County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stevens County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Douglas County.
Is Stevens County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,774 jobs in 2025 against 5,517 in 2019 (+4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 207 to 220.
Does Stevens County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stevens County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.