Prairie County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fallon
Prairie 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. Employers here counted 474 jobs in 2025, up 66.3% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 56 Montana counties). Prairie County is home to Terry. Next door, Custer County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Prairie 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 Prairie County
Prairie County is home to Terry.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fallon.
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 Prairie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,094 | 1,112 | ▲ 1.6% | 52nd of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 285 | 474 | ▲ 66.3% | 1st of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,515 | $46,645 | ▲ 18.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 2.3% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
1,112 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Prairie County
Utilities with service territory in Prairie 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 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Prairie County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Prairie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 474 | $46,645 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5 | $34,908 | 0.20 |
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 Prairie County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Prairie County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Prairie County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Prairie County, Custer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie County | 1,112 | ▲ 66.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Custer County | 12,034 | ▲ 1.0% | 231 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dawson County | 8,692 | ▼ 7.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| Fallon County | 2,959 | ▼ 12.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 1,148 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| McCone County | 1,720 | ▲ 16.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Wibaux County | 885 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Prairie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Prairie County, Montana?
4 utilities have service territory in Prairie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, McCone Electric Coop Inc, Tongue River Electric Coop Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 12.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Prairie County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Prairie County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Custer County.
Is Prairie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 474 jobs in 2025 against 285 in 2019 (+66.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Prairie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Prairie County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.