Burleigh County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bismarck, Lincoln and Hay Creek Township
Burleigh County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Burleigh County, 4% of North Dakota's total. Burleigh County is home to Bismarck, Lincoln, Hay Creek Township and Apple Creek Township. Construction employs 3,252, up 9.6% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 542, up 22.3% since 2019 against up 11.4% statewide, at an average $89,158 a year. Its power plants have 201 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Burleigh County
Burleigh County is home to Bismarck, Lincoln, Hay Creek Township and Apple Creek Township.
- Wilton also extends into McLean County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Apple Valley, Driscoll, Menoken.
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 Burleigh County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 98,593 | 103,251 | ▲ 4.7% | 2nd of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 56,268 | 58,393 | ▲ 3.8% | 12th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,579 | $65,824 | ▲ 25.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,967 | 3,252 | ▲ 9.6% | 13th of 20 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 443 | 542 | ▲ 22.3% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 168 | 187 | ▲ 11.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 1.9% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 58,393 jobs in 2025, up 3.8% from 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Burleigh County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.72¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. 103,251 people live here, up 4.7% since 2020, 2nd of 53 North Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Burleigh County
Utilities with service territory in Burleigh County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 79,354 | 11.72¢ | 67% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Capital Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,530 | 12.31¢ | 38% |
| KEM Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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.
Operating power plants 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 201 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Wind LLC | Baldwin Wind LLC | Wind | 102 MW | 2010 |
| FPL Energy Burleigh County Wind | FPL Energy Burleigh County Wind LLC | Wind | 50 MW | 2005 |
| Wilton Wind II LLC | Wilton Wind II LLC | Wind | 50 MW | 2009 |
The Burleigh County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 58,393 | $65,824 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,252 | $75,834 | 1.05 |
| Electrical contractors | 542 | $89,158 | 1.29 |
| Power and communication line construction | 141 | $107,783 | 1.49 |
| Electric utilities | 187 | $141,467 | 1.18 |
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 Burleigh County
1 data center in Burleigh County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Burleigh County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Burleigh County, Morton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burleigh County | 103,251 | ▲ 3.8% | 201 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Emmons County | 3,215 | ▼ 0.3% | 200 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Kidder County | 2,393 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| McLean County | 9,740 | ▲ 2.6% | 1,216 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Morton County | 34,601 | ▲ 6.3% | 994 MW | 628 MW | — | 1 |
| Oliver County | 1,898 | ▼ 3.4% | 1,031 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sheridan County | 1,296 | ▼ 8.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Burleigh County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Burleigh County, North Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Burleigh County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Otter Tail Power Co, Capital Electric Coop, Inc, KEM Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bismarck, ND in?
Bismarck is in Burleigh County, North Dakota. About 77,963 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Burleigh County?
3 operating plants with 201 MW of capacity. The largest is Baldwin Wind LLC (102 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Burleigh County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Burleigh County.
Is Burleigh County adding jobs?
Employers counted 58,393 jobs in 2025 against 56,268 in 2019 (+3.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,967 to 3,252.
Does Burleigh County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Burleigh County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.