Fergus County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lewistown
Fergus 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 54, up 92.9% since 2019 against up 43.9% statewide, at an average $61,509 a year. Fergus County is home to Lewistown. Construction employs 391, down 33.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Wheatland County has 710 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Fergus County
Fergus County is home to Lewistown.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ayers Ranch Colony, Brooks, Coffee Creek, Danvers, Deerfield Colony, Fords Creek Colony, Hilger, King Ranch Colony, Lewistown Heights, Roy, Spring Creek Colony, Warm Spring Creek.
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 Fergus County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,473 | 11,825 | ▲ 3.1% | 18th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,766 | 4,697 | ▼ 1.4% | 40th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,196 | $51,109 | ▲ 27.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 585 | 391 | ▼ 33.2% | 25th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 54 | ▲ 92.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Fergus County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. Employers here counted 4,697 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. 11,825 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020.
Who powers Fergus County
Utilities with service territory in Fergus 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% |
| Hill County 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 Fergus County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Fergus County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,697 | $51,109 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 391 | $70,728 | 1.57 |
| Electrical contractors | 54 | $61,509 | 1.59 |
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 Fergus County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fergus County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Fergus County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Fergus County, Wheatland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fergus County | 11,825 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Blaine County | 6,860 | ▼ 6.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Chouteau County | 5,865 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Golden Valley County | 844 | ▲ 22.6% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Judith Basin County | 2,162 | ▲ 2.6% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Musselshell County | 5,582 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Petroleum County | 548 | ▲ 18.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Phillips County | 4,203 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Wheatland County | 2,100 | ▼ 8.0% | 165 MW | 710 MW | — | — |
More of Montana
Fergus County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fergus County, Montana?
3 utilities have service territory in Fergus County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Fergus Electric Coop, Inc, Hill County Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Fergus County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fergus County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wheatland County.
Is Fergus County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,697 jobs in 2025 against 4,766 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 585 to 391.
Does Fergus County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fergus County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.