Grant County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Heil and Raleigh
No data center or power plant project is on record in Grant County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Grant County is home to Elgin. Next door, Morton County has 628 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 640 jobs in 2025, up 13.1% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 53 North Dakota counties). Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Grant County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.72¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. 2,206 people live here, down 3.5% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Grant County
Grant County is home to Elgin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Heil, Raleigh.
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 Grant County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,285 | 2,206 | ▼ 3.5% | 43rd of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 566 | 640 | ▲ 13.1% | 3rd of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,916 | $49,299 | ▲ 37.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8 | 19 | ▲ 137.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019.
Who powers Grant County
Utilities with service territory in Grant 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% |
| Mor-Gran-Sou 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.
No operating power plant is located in Grant County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Grant County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 640 | $49,299 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 19 | $56,688 | 0.56 |
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 Grant County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grant County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Morton County.
Grant County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Grant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | 2,206 | ▲ 13.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 2,275 | ▼ 11.5% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Hettinger County | 2,492 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Morton County | 34,601 | ▲ 6.3% | 994 MW | 628 MW | — | 1 |
| Sioux County | 3,667 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Stark County | 34,013 | ▼ 2.3% | 300 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Grant County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grant County, North Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Grant County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Mor-Gran-Sou 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 Grant County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grant County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morton County.
Is Grant County adding jobs?
Employers counted 640 jobs in 2025 against 566 in 2019 (+13.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 8 to 19.
Does Grant County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grant County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.