Flathead County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls
Flathead County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Flathead County, 10% of Montana's total. Construction employs 4,924, up 44.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 640, up 66.7% since 2019 against up 43.9% statewide, at an average $71,548 a year. Flathead County is home to Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls. Employers here counted 51,035 jobs in 2025, up 15.7% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 56 Montana counties).
Cities and towns in Flathead County
Flathead County is home to Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Batavia, Bigfork, Coram, Essex, Evergreen, Forest Hill Village, Helena Flats, Hungry Horse, Kila, Lakeside, Little Bitterroot Lake, Marion, Martin City, Niarada, Olney, Pinnacle, Polebridge, Rhodes, Snowslip, Somers, West Glacier.
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 Flathead County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 104,873 | 115,429 | ▲ 10.1% | 4th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 44,119 | 51,035 | ▲ 15.7% | 10th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,610 | $60,562 | ▲ 42.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,420 | 4,924 | ▲ 44.0% | 7th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 384 | 640 | ▲ 66.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 2.7% | ▼ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Its power plants have 438 MW of capacity, 99% of it hydro, the 4th largest fleet in Montana. 115,429 people live here, up 10.1% since 2020, 4th of 56 Montana counties by population. Flathead Electric Coop Inc is the largest utility serving Flathead County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 9.67¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities.
Who powers Flathead County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Flathead County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 63,317 | 9.67¢ | 30% |
| USBIA-Mission Valley Power | Federal | Bundled | 16,292 | 8.91¢ | 33% |
| Glacier Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln 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.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 432 MW | 99% |
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungry Horse | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 428 MW | 1952 |
| Big Fork | PacifiCorp | Hydro | 4 MW | 1910 |
| Flathead Landfill to Gas Energy Facility | Flathead Electric Coop Inc | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2009 |
| Stoltze CoGen1 | F H Stoltze Land & Lumber Co | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2013 |
The Flathead County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 51,035 | $60,562 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,924 | $67,383 | 1.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 640 | $71,548 | 1.74 |
| Power and communication line construction | 88 | $100,124 | 1.07 |
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 Flathead County
2 data centers in Flathead County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Flathead County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Flathead 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead County | 115,429 | ▲ 15.7% | 438 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Glacier County | 13,463 | ▲ 2.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 33,392 | ▲ 8.0% | 228 MW | — | — | — |
| Lewis and Clark County | 75,331 | ▲ 9.2% | 80 MW | 7 MW | 3 | — |
| Lincoln County | 22,328 | ▲ 10.6% | 525 MW | — | — | — |
| Missoula County | 123,513 | ▲ 7.3% | 6 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Pondera County | 6,072 | ▼ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Powell County | 7,157 | ▲ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Sanders County | 14,062 | ▲ 15.6% | 586 MW | — | — | — |
| Teton County | 6,496 | ▲ 7.8% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Flathead County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Flathead County, Montana?
4 utilities have service territory in Flathead County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Flathead Electric Coop Inc, USBIA-Mission Valley Power, Glacier Electric Coop, Inc, Lincoln Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Flathead Electric Coop Inc, charged residential customers 9.67¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Kalispell, MT in?
Kalispell is in Flathead County, Montana. About 31,851 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Flathead County?
4 operating plants with 438 MW of capacity. The largest is Hungry Horse (428 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Flathead County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Flathead County.
Is Flathead County adding jobs?
Employers counted 51,035 jobs in 2025 against 44,119 in 2019 (+15.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,420 to 4,924.
Does Flathead County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Flathead County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.