Richland County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wahpeton
Richland County is a generation frontier for North Dakota. Richland County is home to Wahpeton, Hankinson and Lidgerwood. Electrical contractors employ 97, up 56.5% since 2019 against up 11.4% statewide, at an average $76,961 a year. 295 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Otter Tail Power Co (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among North Dakota's counties. Construction employs 396, up 7.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Richland County
Richland County is home to Wahpeton, Hankinson and Lidgerwood.
And 16 smaller places.
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 Richland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,538 | 16,731 | ▲ 1.2% | 9th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,806 | 7,877 | ▲ 0.9% | 22nd of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,181 | $56,749 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 368 | 396 | ▲ 7.6% | 14th of 20 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62 | 97 | ▲ 56.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.3% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 295 MW | 19673% of today's fleet | 3rd of 5 by size |
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Richland 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. Employers here counted 7,877 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. 16,731 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020, 9th of 53 North Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Richland County
Utilities with service territory in Richland 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% |
| Cass County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 51,968 | 12.45¢ | 35% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,721 | 12.01¢ | 1% |
| Traverse Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Magic | Dakota Magic Casino | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2000 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abercrombie Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 295 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Otter Tail Power Co |
The Richland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,877 | $56,749 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 396 | $70,409 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 97 | $76,961 | 1.71 |
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 Richland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Richland County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Cass County.
Richland County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Richland County, Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 16,731 | ▲ 0.9% | 2 MW | 295 MW | — | — |
| Cass County | 201,794 | ▲ 7.1% | 4 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Clay County MN | 67,734 | ▲ 1.0% | 78 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Marshall County SD | 4,426 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Ransom County | 5,617 | ▼ 2.5% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Roberts County SD | 10,255 | ▼ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Sargent County | 3,711 | ▼ 27.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Traverse County MN | 3,130 | ▼ 13.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilkin County MN | 6,288 | ▼ 8.2% | — | 1 MW | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Richland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Richland County, North Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Richland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Cass County Elec Coop Inc, Otter Tail Power Co, Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Richland County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Dakota Magic (2 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Richland County?
295 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Otter Tail Power Co.
Are there data centers in Richland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Richland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cass County.
Is Richland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,877 jobs in 2025 against 7,806 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 368 to 396.
Does Richland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Richland County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.