Custer County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Miles City
Custer County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Custer County, 5% of Montana's total. Custer County is home to Miles City. Electrical contractors employ 17, up 21.4% since 2019 against up 43.9% statewide, at an average $58,456 a year. Construction employs 184, up 12.2% since 2019. 208 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Custer County
Custer County is home to Miles City.
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 Custer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,860 | 12,034 | ▲ 1.5% | 17th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,208 | 5,261 | ▲ 1.0% | 36th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,983 | $52,184 | ▲ 33.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 164 | 184 | ▲ 12.2% | 22nd of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14 | 17 | ▲ 21.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 208 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 231 MW of capacity, 90% of it wind. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Custer County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. Employers here counted 5,261 jobs in 2025, up 1.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 12,034 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Custer County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +208 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Custer County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 19,616 | 12.89¢ | 37% |
| McCone Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mid-Yellowstone Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southeast Electric 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 208 MW | 90% |
| Natural gas | 23 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater Wind East | Portland General Electric Co | Wind | 208 MW | 2024 |
| Miles City GT | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Natural gas | 23 MW | 1972 |
The Custer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,261 | $52,184 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 184 | $60,730 | 0.66 |
| Electrical contractors | 17 | $58,456 | 0.45 |
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 Custer County
1 data center in Custer County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Custer County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Custer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County | 12,034 | ▲ 1.0% | 231 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Carter County | 1,383 | ▲ 28.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Fallon County | 2,959 | ▼ 12.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 1,148 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Powder River County | 1,781 | ▲ 24.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Prairie County | 1,112 | ▲ 66.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Rosebud County | 8,253 | ▼ 4.6% | 2,262 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Montana
Custer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Custer County, Montana?
6 utilities have service territory in Custer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Coop Inc, Mid-Yellowstone Elec Coop, Inc, Southeast Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 12.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Custer County?
2 operating plants with 231 MW of capacity. The largest is Clearwater Wind East (208 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Custer County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Custer County.
Is Custer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,261 jobs in 2025 against 5,208 in 2019 (+1.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 164 to 184.
Does Custer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Custer County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.