Cascade County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Great Falls
Cascade County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cascade County, 5% of Montana's total. Cascade County is home to Great Falls, Cascade and Belt. Construction employs 2,698, up 26.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 331 MW of capacity, 96% of it hydro, the 9th largest fleet in Montana. Employers here counted 36,192 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Cascade County
Cascade County is home to Great Falls, Cascade and Belt.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Stone Colony, Black Eagle, Cascade Colony, Centerville, Fair Haven Colony, Fort Shaw, Gibson Flats, Hardy, Malmstrom AFB, Monarch, Pleasant Valley Colony, Riceville, Sand Coulee, Simms, Stockett, Sun Prairie, Sun River, Tracy, Ulm, Vaughn.
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 Cascade County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 84,410 | 85,029 | ▲ 0.7% | 5th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35,545 | 36,192 | ▲ 1.8% | 33rd of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,756 | $58,416 | ▲ 36.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,141 | 2,698 | ▲ 26.0% | 14th of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Cascade County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 85,029 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020, 5th of 56 Montana counties by population.
Who powers Cascade County
Utilities with service territory in Cascade 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% |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,682 | 15.52¢ | 74% |
| Sun 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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 318 MW | 96% |
| Wind | 10 MW | 3% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morony | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | Hydro | 63 MW | 1930 |
| Cochrane | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | Hydro | 59 MW | 1958 |
| Rainbow (MT) | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | Hydro | 59 MW | 2013 |
| Ryan | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | Hydro | 55 MW | 1915 |
| Holter | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | Hydro | 55 MW | 1918 |
| Black Eagle | NorthWestern Energy (MT Hydro) | Hydro | 27 MW | 1927 |
The Cascade County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 36,192 | $58,416 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,698 | $82,140 | 1.41 |
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 Cascade County
1 data center in Cascade County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cascade County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cascade County, Lewis and Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade County | 85,029 | ▲ 1.8% | 331 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Chouteau County | 5,865 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Judith Basin County | 2,162 | ▲ 2.6% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Lewis and Clark County | 75,331 | ▲ 9.2% | 80 MW | 7 MW | 3 | — |
| Meagher County | 2,137 | ▲ 11.0% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Teton County | 6,496 | ▲ 7.8% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Cascade County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cascade County, Montana?
4 utilities have service territory in Cascade County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Fergus Electric Coop, Inc, Sun River Electric Coop, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Great Falls, MT in?
Great Falls is in Cascade County, Montana. About 60,208 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cascade County?
8 operating plants with 331 MW of capacity. The largest is Morony (63 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Cascade County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cascade County.
Is Cascade County adding jobs?
Employers counted 36,192 jobs in 2025 against 35,545 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,141 to 2,698.
Does Cascade County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cascade County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.