Cass County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fargo, West Fargo and Horace
The data center boom is not abstract in Cass County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Cass County, 27% of North Dakota's total. Cass County is home to Fargo, West Fargo, Horace and Casselton. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed two-year zoning moratorium covering data centers”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Harmony Energy Park (540 MW). Construction employs 9,413, up 20.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Cass County
Cass County is home to Fargo, West Fargo, Horace and Casselton.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brooktree Park, Embden, Erie, Wheatland.
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 Cass County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 184,897 | 201,794 | ▲ 9.1% | 1st of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 120,149 | 128,690 | ▲ 7.1% | 4th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,410 | $68,760 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,783 | 9,413 | ▲ 20.9% | 8th of 20 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 943 | 1,061 | ▲ 12.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 449 | 113 | ▼ 74.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.8% | 2.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 1,061, up 12.5% since 2019 against up 11.4% statewide, at an average $73,192 a year. Employers here counted 128,690 jobs in 2025, up 7.1% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 53 North Dakota counties). 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 67% of it petroleum. 201,794 people live here, up 9.1% since 2020, 1st of 53 North Dakota counties by population. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Cass County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. Unemployment was 2.0% in August 2026, against 1.8% in 2019.
Who powers Cass County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cass County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Investor Owned | Bundled | 82,987 | 12.11¢ | 47% |
| Cass County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 51,968 | 12.45¢ | 35% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Nodak Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,803 | 12.08¢ | 42% |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 67% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 33% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Composites | Marvin Composites | Natural gas | 2 MW | 1996 |
| Kindred School | Kindred Public School | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2001 |
The Cass County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 128,690 | $68,760 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 9,413 | $81,260 | 1.38 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,061 | $73,192 | 1.14 |
| Power and communication line construction | 130 | $84,849 | 0.63 |
| Data processing and hosting | 113 | $122,434 | 0.28 |
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 Cass County
7 data centers in Cass County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed two-year zoning moratorium covering data centers | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmony Energy Park | pending review | 540 MW |
Cass County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Cass County, Richland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 201,794 | ▲ 7.1% | 4 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Barnes County | 10,573 | ▼ 1.1% | 259 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County MN | 67,734 | ▲ 1.0% | 78 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Norman County MN | 6,336 | ▲ 18.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Ransom County | 5,617 | ▼ 2.5% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 16,731 | ▲ 0.9% | 2 MW | 295 MW | — | — |
| Steele County | 1,797 | ▼ 9.1% | 170 MW | — | — | — |
| Traill County | 7,920 | ▲ 4.9% | 17 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Cass County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cass County, North Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Cass County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Cass County Elec Coop Inc, Otter Tail Power Co, Nodak Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 12.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fargo, ND in?
Fargo is in Cass County, North Dakota. About 136,275 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is West Fargo, ND in?
West Fargo is in Cass County, North Dakota. About 41,175 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cass County?
2 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Marvin Composites (2 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cass County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Cass County.
Is Cass County adding jobs?
Employers counted 128,690 jobs in 2025 against 120,149 in 2019 (+7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,783 to 9,413.
Does Cass County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Cass County, 0 in force.