Dunn County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Manning
No data center or power plant project is on record in Dunn County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Dunn County is home to Killdeer. Next door, McLean County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 1,999 jobs in 2025, down 7.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Dunn County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.72¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities.
Cities and towns in Dunn County
Dunn County is home to Killdeer.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Manning.
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 Dunn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,093 | 4,058 | ▼ 0.9% | 26th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,158 | 1,999 | ▼ 7.4% | 42nd of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $74,191 | $86,577 | ▲ 16.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
4,058 people live here, down 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Dunn County
Utilities with service territory in Dunn 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% |
| Roughrider Electric Cooperativ | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,183 | 10.24¢ | 43% |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,382 | 7.86¢ | 31% |
| 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 Dunn County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Dunn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,999 | $86,577 | 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 Dunn County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dunn County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Mercer County.
Dunn County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dunn County, Mercer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn County | 4,058 | ▼ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Billings County | 1,071 | ▲ 40.6% | — | — | — | — |
| McKenzie County | 15,192 | ▼ 4.7% | 363 MW | — | — | — |
| McLean County | 9,740 | ▲ 2.6% | 1,216 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Mercer County | 8,441 | ▲ 3.5% | 2,643 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Mountrail County | 9,395 | ▼ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Stark County | 34,013 | ▼ 2.3% | 300 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Dunn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dunn County, North Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Dunn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Roughrider Electric Cooperativ, McKenzie Electric Coop Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Dunn County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dunn County. The nearest activity on record is next door in McLean County.
Is Dunn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,999 jobs in 2025 against 2,158 in 2019 (-7.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Dunn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dunn County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.