Benson County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Totten
Benson 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. Construction employs 123, up 48.2% since 2019. Benson County is home to Mission Township. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,019 jobs in 2025, up 3.2% from 2019. Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Benson County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.38¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Benson County
Benson County is home to Mission Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Totten.
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 Benson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,940 | 5,759 | ▼ 3.0% | 21st of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,956 | 2,019 | ▲ 3.2% | 14th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,933 | $55,158 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 83 | 123 | ▲ 48.2% | 5th of 20 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 2.5% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
5,759 people live here, down 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Benson County
Utilities with service territory in Benson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Nodak Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,803 | 12.08¢ | 42% |
| Northern Plains Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,393 | 10.65¢ | 17% |
| City of Maddock - (ND) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 97% |
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 Benson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Benson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,019 | $55,158 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 123 | $92,273 | 1.15 |
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 Benson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Benson County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Benson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Benson County, Pierce 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson County | 5,759 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Eddy County | 2,329 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Nelson County | 2,963 | ▲ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 3,838 | ▼ 2.4% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
| Ramsey County | 11,530 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Towner County | 2,040 | ▼ 10.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Wells County | 3,729 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Benson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Benson County, North Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Benson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Nodak Electric Coop Inc, Northern Plains Electric Coop, City of Maddock - (ND). The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 11.38¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Benson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Benson County.
Is Benson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,019 jobs in 2025 against 1,956 in 2019 (+3.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 83 to 123.
Does Benson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Benson County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.