Carbon County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Red Lodge
Carbon 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. Electrical contractors employ 25, up 108.3% since 2019 against up 43.9% statewide, at an average $71,647 a year. Carbon County is home to Red Lodge, Bridger and Joliet. Employers here counted 3,141 jobs in 2025, up 14.3% from 2019. Next door, Yellowstone County has 7 data centers. Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Carbon County
Carbon County is home to Red Lodge, Bridger and Joliet.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Belfry, Boyd, Edgar, Fox, Luther, Montaqua, Roberts, Rockvale, Roscoe, Silesia.
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 Carbon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,511 | 11,466 | ▲ 9.1% | 19th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,748 | 3,141 | ▲ 14.3% | 12th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,257 | $51,342 | ▲ 45.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12 | 25 | ▲ 108.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 2.4% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 240 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
240 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 242 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind, the 10th largest fleet in Montana. 11,466 people live here, up 9.1% since 2020. NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Carbon County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities.
Who powers Carbon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +240 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carbon 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% |
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 63,317 | 9.67¢ | 30% |
| Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,182 | 13.35¢ | 24% |
| Beartooth Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Big Horn Rural Electric Co | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 240 MW | 99% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pryor Mountain Wind | PacifiCorp | Wind | 240 MW | 2021 |
| South Dry Creek Hydro | Hydrodynamics Inc | Hydro | 2 MW | 1985 |
The Carbon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,141 | $51,342 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 25 | $71,647 | 1.10 |
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 Carbon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carbon County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Park County, Yellowstone County.
Carbon County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Carbon County, Yellowstone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County | 11,466 | ▲ 14.3% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Big Horn County | 12,752 | ▼ 7.6% | 397 MW | — | — | — |
| Big Horn County WY | 12,024 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Park County | 18,214 | ▲ 18.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Park County WY | 31,171 | ▲ 1.8% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Stillwater County | 9,445 | ▼ 16.6% | 342 MW | — | — | — |
| Yellowstone County | 172,692 | ▲ 6.7% | 360 MW | 50 MW | 7 | 1 |
More of Montana
Carbon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carbon County, Montana?
6 utilities have service territory in Carbon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Flathead Electric Coop Inc, Yellowstone Valley Elec Co-op, Beartooth Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Carbon County?
2 operating plants with 242 MW of capacity. The largest is Pryor Mountain Wind (240 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Carbon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carbon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Yellowstone County.
Is Carbon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,141 jobs in 2025 against 2,748 in 2019 (+14.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Carbon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carbon County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.