Watonwan County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. James and Madelia
Watonwan 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. Watonwan County is home to St. James, Madelia and Butterfield. Next door, Cottonwood County has 200 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 228, down 9.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 24 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 28, unchanged since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $59,755 a year.
Cities and towns in Watonwan County
Watonwan County is home to St. James, Madelia and Butterfield.
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 Watonwan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,236 | 11,459 | ▲ 2.0% | 63rd of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,375 | 4,490 | ▲ 2.6% | 24th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,208 | $49,731 | ▲ 33.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 253 | 228 | ▼ 9.9% | 65th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 28 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.5% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 4,490 jobs in 2025, up 2.6% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Watonwan County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. 11,459 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Watonwan County
Utilities with service territory in Watonwan 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% |
| Federated Rural Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,727 | 11.64¢ | 17% |
| South Central Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,665 | 15.20¢ | 23% |
| Brown County Rural Elec Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of St James - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Madelia - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 24 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St James | City of St James - (MN) | Petroleum | 12 MW | 2002 |
| Madelia | City of Madelia - (MN) | Petroleum | 12 MW | 1954 |
The Watonwan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,490 | $49,731 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 228 | $62,411 | 0.96 |
| Electrical contractors | 28 | $59,755 | 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 Watonwan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Watonwan County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Watonwan County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Watonwan County, Cottonwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watonwan County | 11,459 | ▲ 2.6% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Blue Earth County | 70,634 | ▲ 3.0% | 826 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Brown County | 25,517 | ▼ 4.7% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Cottonwood County | 11,405 | ▼ 6.1% | 306 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Jackson County | 9,857 | ▼ 5.6% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Martin County | 19,440 | ▼ 1.2% | 845 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Watonwan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Watonwan County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Watonwan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Federated Rural Electric Assn, South Central Electric Assn, Brown County Rural Elec Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Watonwan County?
2 operating plants with 24 MW of capacity. The largest is St James (12 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Watonwan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Watonwan County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cottonwood County.
Is Watonwan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,490 jobs in 2025 against 4,375 in 2019 (+2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 253 to 228.
Does Watonwan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Watonwan County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.