Sheridan County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Plentywood
No data center or power plant project is on record in Sheridan County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Sheridan County is home to Plentywood. Next door, Williams County, North Dakota, has 1 data center and 1,518 MW of planned generation. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Sheridan County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. Employers here counted 1,275 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Sheridan County
Sheridan County is home to Plentywood.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Antelope, Homestead, Redstone, Reserve.
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 Sheridan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,540 | 3,436 | ▼ 2.9% | 41st of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,276 | 1,275 | ▼ 0.1% | 38th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,521 | $50,650 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
3,436 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Sheridan County
Utilities with service territory in Sheridan 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% |
| Sheridan 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.
No operating power plant is located in Sheridan County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sheridan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,275 | $50,650 | 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 Sheridan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sheridan County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Sheridan County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Sheridan County, Williams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan County | 3,436 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Daniels County | 1,612 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Divide County ND | 2,110 | ▼ 12.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Roosevelt County | 10,242 | ▼ 4.2% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Williams County ND | 41,767 | ▼ 10.4% | 1,346 MW | 1,518 MW | 1 | — |
More of Montana
Sheridan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sheridan County, Montana?
2 utilities have service territory in Sheridan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Sheridan Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 12.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Sheridan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sheridan County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Williams County.
Is Sheridan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,275 jobs in 2025 against 1,276 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Sheridan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sheridan County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.