Stark County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dickinson
No data center or power plant project is on record in Stark County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Stark County is home to Dickinson, Belfield and Richardton. Construction employs 1,926, up 13.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Morton County has 628 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 300 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind, the 10th largest fleet in North Dakota. Employers here counted 19,567 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Stark County
Stark County is home to Dickinson, Belfield and Richardton.
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 Stark County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,831 | 34,013 | ▲ 0.5% | 7th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,019 | 19,567 | ▼ 2.3% | 28th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $64,067 | $73,896 | ▲ 15.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,702 | 1,926 | ▲ 13.2% | 10th of 20 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 386 | 336 | ▼ 13.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 99 | 90 | ▼ 9.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Stark 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. Electrical contractors employ 336, down 13.0% since 2019 against up 11.4% statewide, at an average $99,305 a year. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. 34,013 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020, 7th of 53 North Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Stark County
Utilities with service territory in Stark 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% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 300 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brady II Wind Energy Center | Brady Wind II, LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2016 |
| Brady Wind Energy Center | Brady Wind, LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2016 |
The Stark County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,567 | $73,896 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,926 | $91,952 | 1.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 336 | $99,305 | 2.38 |
| Electric utilities | 90 | $122,716 | 1.70 |
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 Stark County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stark County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Mercer County, Morton County.
Stark County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Stark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stark County | 34,013 | ▼ 2.3% | 300 MW | — | — | — |
| Billings County | 1,071 | ▲ 40.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Dunn County | 4,058 | ▼ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 2,206 | ▲ 13.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Hettinger County | 2,492 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Mercer County | 8,441 | ▲ 3.5% | 2,643 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Morton County | 34,601 | ▲ 6.3% | 994 MW | 628 MW | — | 1 |
| Slope County | 628 | ▼ 27.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Stark County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stark County, North Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Stark County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Roughrider Electric Cooperativ, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dickinson, ND in?
Dickinson is in Stark County, North Dakota. About 25,870 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Stark County?
2 operating plants with 300 MW of capacity. The largest is Brady II Wind Energy Center (150 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Stark County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stark County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morton County.
Is Stark County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,567 jobs in 2025 against 20,019 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,702 to 1,926.
Does Stark County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stark County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.