Big Horn County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hardin
Big Horn 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. Big Horn County is home to Hardin. Next door, Yellowstone County has 7 data centers. Unemployment was 6.2% in August 2026, against 7.3% in 2019. Employers here counted 3,674 jobs in 2025, down 7.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 397 MW of capacity, 70% of it hydro, the 6th largest fleet in Montana.
Cities and towns in Big Horn County
Big Horn County is home to Hardin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Busby, Crow Agency, Fort Smith, Forty Mile Colony, Muddy, Pryor, St. Xavier, Wyola.
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 Big Horn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,079 | 12,752 | ▼ 2.5% | 16th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,978 | 3,674 | ▼ 7.6% | 52nd of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,928 | $56,360 | ▲ 20.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.3% | 6.2% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Big Horn County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. 12,752 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Big Horn County
Utilities with service territory in Big Horn County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 328,127 | 14.23¢ | 49% |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,182 | 13.35¢ | 24% |
| Powder River Energy Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 52 | 12.69¢ | 0% |
| Big Horn Rural Electric Co | — | — | — | — | — |
| Big Horn County Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mid-Yellowstone Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tongue River Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 79% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 278 MW | 70% |
| Coal | 116 MW | 29% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowtail | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 278 MW | 1966 |
| Hardin Generator Project | Heorot Power Management | Coal | 116 MW | 2006 |
| South Mills Solar, LLC | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
The Big Horn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,674 | $56,360 | 1.00 |
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 Big Horn County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Big Horn County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Yellowstone County.
Big Horn County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Big Horn County, Rosebud 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Horn County | 12,752 | ▼ 7.6% | 397 MW | — | — | — |
| Big Horn County WY | 12,024 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Carbon County | 11,466 | ▲ 14.3% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Powder River County | 1,781 | ▲ 24.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Rosebud County | 8,253 | ▼ 4.6% | 2,262 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Sheridan County WY | 33,241 | ▲ 9.6% | 15 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Treasure County | 728 | ▲ 4.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Yellowstone County | 172,692 | ▲ 6.7% | 360 MW | 50 MW | 7 | 1 |
More of Montana
Big Horn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Big Horn County, Montana?
8 utilities have service territory in Big Horn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op, Powder River Energy Corp, Big Horn Rural Electric Co. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Big Horn County?
3 operating plants with 397 MW of capacity. The largest is Yellowtail (278 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Big Horn County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Big Horn County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Yellowstone County.
Is Big Horn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,674 jobs in 2025 against 3,978 in 2019 (-7.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Big Horn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Big Horn County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.