McCone County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brockway and Prairie Elk Colony
McCone 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. McCone County is home to Circle. Employers here counted 562 jobs in 2025, up 16.4% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 56 Montana counties). Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. Its power plants have 180 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving McCone County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities.
Cities and towns in McCone County
McCone County is home to Circle.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brockway, Prairie Elk Colony, Vida.
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 McCone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,731 | 1,720 | ▼ 0.6% | 48th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 483 | 562 | ▲ 16.4% | 9th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,399 | $50,842 | ▲ 22.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
1,720 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers McCone County
Utilities with service territory in McCone 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% |
| McCone Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| NorVal Electric Cooperative, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 180 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Peck | USACE-Omaha | Hydro | 180 MW | 1943 |
The McCone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 562 | $50,842 | 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 McCone County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in McCone County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
McCone County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border McCone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCone County | 1,720 | ▲ 16.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Dawson County | 8,692 | ▼ 7.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 1,148 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Prairie County | 1,112 | ▲ 66.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 11,377 | ▼ 7.0% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Roosevelt County | 10,242 | ▼ 4.2% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Valley County | 7,385 | ▼ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Montana
McCone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McCone County, Montana?
4 utilities have service territory in McCone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Coop Inc, NorVal Electric Cooperative, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 12.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in McCone County?
1 operating plant with 180 MW of capacity. The largest is Fort Peck (180 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in McCone County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in McCone County.
Is McCone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 562 jobs in 2025 against 483 in 2019 (+16.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does McCone County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McCone County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.