Kidder County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Kidder 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. Kidder County is home to Steele. Next door, Burleigh County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 699 jobs in 2025, up 4.0% from 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Kidder County, one of 6 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 Kidder County
Kidder County is home to Steele.
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 Kidder County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,381 | 2,393 | ▲ 0.5% | 38th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 672 | 699 | ▲ 4.0% | 11th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,383 | $49,033 | ▲ 27.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 2.3% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
2,393 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Kidder County
Utilities with service territory in Kidder 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% |
| Northern Plains Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,393 | 10.65¢ | 17% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Kidder County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Kidder County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 699 | $49,033 | 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 Kidder County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kidder County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Kidder County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Kidder County, Emmons 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kidder County | 2,393 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Burleigh County | 103,251 | ▲ 3.8% | 201 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Emmons County | 3,215 | ▼ 0.3% | 200 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Logan County | 1,859 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Sheridan County | 1,296 | ▼ 8.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Stutsman County | 21,414 | ▲ 2.2% | 354 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wells County | 3,729 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Kidder County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kidder County, North Dakota?
6 utilities have service territory in Kidder County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Otter Tail Power Co, Capital Electric Coop, Inc, Northern Plains Electric Coop. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Kidder County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kidder County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Burleigh County.
Is Kidder County adding jobs?
Employers counted 699 jobs in 2025 against 672 in 2019 (+4.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kidder County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kidder County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.