Dawson County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Glendive
No data center or power plant project is on record in Dawson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Dawson County is home to Glendive. Employers here counted 3,338 jobs in 2025, down 7.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 84 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Dawson 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. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Dawson County
Dawson County is home to Glendive.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bloomfield, Lindsay, West Glendive.
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 Dawson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,921 | 8,692 | ▼ 2.6% | 26th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,611 | 3,338 | ▼ 7.6% | 51st of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,696 | $51,550 | ▲ 23.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 70 | 81 | ▲ 15.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.7% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
8,692 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Dawson County
Utilities with service territory in Dawson 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% |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,499 | 8.83¢ | 6% |
| Goldenwest Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| McCone 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 84 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glendive GT | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Natural gas | 84 MW | 1979 |
The Dawson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,338 | $51,550 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 81 | $51,970 | 0.46 |
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 Dawson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dawson County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Dawson County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Dawson County, McCone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County | 8,692 | ▼ 7.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| McCone County | 1,720 | ▲ 16.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Prairie County | 1,112 | ▲ 66.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 11,377 | ▼ 7.0% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Wibaux County | 885 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Dawson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dawson County, Montana?
6 utilities have service territory in Dawson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc, Goldenwest Electric Coop, Inc, McCone Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 12.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Dawson County?
1 operating plant with 84 MW of capacity. The largest is Glendive GT (84 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Dawson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dawson County.
Is Dawson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,338 jobs in 2025 against 3,611 in 2019 (-7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 70 to 81.
Does Dawson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dawson County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.