Ravalli County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hamilton and Stevensville
Ravalli 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. Ravalli County is home to Hamilton, Stevensville, Darby and Pinesdale. Construction employs 1,248, up 18.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Beaverhead County has 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 13,744 jobs in 2025, up 13.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Ravalli County
Ravalli County is home to Hamilton, Stevensville, Darby and Pinesdale.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Charlos Heights, Conner, Corvallis, Florence, Sula, Victor.
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 Ravalli County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 44,412 | 48,582 | ▲ 9.4% | 7th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,113 | 13,744 | ▲ 13.5% | 13th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,695 | $55,614 | ▲ 47.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,050 | 1,248 | ▲ 18.9% | 20th of 25 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11 | 25 | ▲ 127.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.2% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
48,582 people live here, up 9.4% since 2020, 7th of 56 Montana counties by population. NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Ravalli 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.
Who powers Ravalli County
Utilities with service territory in Ravalli 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% |
| Missoula Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,686 | 10.50¢ | 20% |
| Ravalli County Elec 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 Ravalli County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Ravalli County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,744 | $55,614 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,248 | $56,498 | 1.71 |
| Power and communication line construction | 25 | $87,022 | 1.13 |
| Data processing and hosting | 23 | $108,960 | 0.54 |
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 Ravalli County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ravalli County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Missoula County.
Ravalli County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ravalli County, Beaverhead 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravalli County | 48,582 | ▲ 13.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Beaverhead County | 10,043 | ▲ 3.2% | 80 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Deer Lodge County | 9,709 | ▲ 7.6% | 203 MW | — | — | — |
| Granite County | 3,658 | ▼ 0.9% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Idaho County ID | 17,874 | ▲ 4.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Lemhi County ID | 8,474 | ▲ 8.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Missoula County | 123,513 | ▲ 7.3% | 6 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
More of Montana
Ravalli County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ravalli County, Montana?
3 utilities have service territory in Ravalli County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Missoula Electric Coop, Inc, Ravalli County Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Ravalli County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ravalli County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Beaverhead County.
Is Ravalli County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,744 jobs in 2025 against 12,113 in 2019 (+13.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,050 to 1,248.
Does Ravalli County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ravalli County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.