Gallatin County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bozeman and Belgrade, and the communities of Four Corners
Gallatin County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Gallatin County, 10% of Montana's total. Gallatin County is home to Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan and Three Forks, plus the unincorporated community of Four Corners. Construction employs 7,718, up 26.9% since 2019, and construction is 2.0 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 676, up 55.0% since 2019 against up 43.9% statewide, at an average $85,429 a year. Employers here counted 74,277 jobs in 2025, up 22.6% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 56 Montana counties).
Cities and towns in Gallatin County
Gallatin County is home to Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan and Three Forks, plus the unincorporated community of Four Corners.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Four Corners, Amsterdam, Big Sky, Bridger, Churchill, Gallatin Gateway, Gallatin River Ranch, Hebgen Lake Estates, King Arthur Park, Logan, Ponderosa Pines, Sedan, Springhill, Willow 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 Gallatin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 119,593 | 128,740 | ▲ 7.6% | 2nd of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 60,588 | 74,277 | ▲ 22.6% | 4th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,146 | $70,519 | ▲ 52.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,083 | 7,718 | ▲ 26.9% | 13th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 436 | 676 | ▲ 55.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 75 | 108 | ▲ 44.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.3% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Gallatin County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. 128,740 people live here, up 7.6% since 2020, 2nd of 56 Montana counties by population. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019.
Who powers Gallatin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Gallatin 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% |
| Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,508 | 11.39¢ | 65% |
| Park Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vigilante 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCC Trident Solar Project | GCC Trident LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2022 |
The Gallatin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 74,277 | $70,519 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,718 | $88,066 | 1.96 |
| Electrical contractors | 676 | $85,429 | 1.26 |
| Data processing and hosting | 108 | $590,637 | 0.47 |
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 Gallatin County
2 data centers in Gallatin County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Gallatin County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Gallatin County, Park 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin County | 128,740 | ▲ 22.6% | 4 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Broadwater County | 8,493 | ▲ 12.1% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Fremont County ID | 14,208 | ▲ 21.2% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 13,329 | ▲ 17.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 10,026 | ▼ 32.7% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Meagher County | 2,137 | ▲ 11.0% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Park County | 18,214 | ▲ 18.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Park County WY | 31,171 | ▲ 1.8% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Teton County WY | 23,333 | ▲ 11.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Gallatin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gallatin County, Montana?
4 utilities have service territory in Gallatin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc, Park Electric Coop Inc, Vigilante Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bozeman, MT in?
Bozeman is in Gallatin County, Montana. About 58,814 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Belgrade, MT in?
Belgrade is in Gallatin County, Montana. About 13,107 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Gallatin County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is GCC Trident Solar Project (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Gallatin County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Gallatin County.
Is Gallatin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 74,277 jobs in 2025 against 60,588 in 2019 (+22.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,083 to 7,718.
Does Gallatin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gallatin County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.