Daniels County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Peerless and Whitetail
No data center or power plant project is on record in Daniels County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Daniels County is home to Scobey. Employers here counted 549 jobs in 2025, down 7.1% from 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Daniels County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. 1,612 people live here, down 2.3% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Daniels County
Daniels County is home to Scobey.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Peerless, Whitetail.
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 Daniels County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,650 | 1,612 | ▼ 2.3% | 49th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 591 | 549 | ▼ 7.1% | 50th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,862 | $51,458 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.3% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Who powers Daniels County
Utilities with service territory in Daniels 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% |
| NorVal Electric Cooperative, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sheridan Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Daniels County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Daniels County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 549 | $51,458 | 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 Daniels County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Daniels County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Daniels County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Daniels County, Roosevelt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniels County | 1,612 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Roosevelt County | 10,242 | ▼ 4.2% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Sheridan County | 3,436 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Valley County | 7,385 | ▼ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Daniels County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Daniels County, Montana?
3 utilities have service territory in Daniels County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, NorVal Electric Cooperative, Inc, Sheridan Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 12.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Daniels County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Daniels County.
Is Daniels County adding jobs?
Employers counted 549 jobs in 2025 against 591 in 2019 (-7.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Daniels County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Daniels County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.