Traill County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mayville and Hillsboro
Traill 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. Construction employs 226, up 50.7% since 2019. Traill County is home to Mayville, Hillsboro, Hatton and Portland. Next door, Cass County has 7 data centers. Employers here counted 3,556 jobs in 2025, up 4.9% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 53 North Dakota counties). Its power plants have 17 MW of capacity, 77% of it coal.
Cities and towns in Traill County
Traill County is home to Mayville, Hillsboro, Hatton and Portland.
And 6 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blanchard, Caledonia.
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 Traill County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,984 | 7,920 | ▼ 0.8% | 18th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,390 | 3,556 | ▲ 4.9% | 10th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,130 | $62,734 | ▲ 39.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 150 | 226 | ▲ 50.7% | 4th of 20 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 12, at an average $60,301 a year. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Traill County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. 7,920 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Traill County
Utilities with service territory in Traill County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Investor Owned | Bundled | 82,987 | 12.11¢ | 47% |
| Cass County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 51,968 | 12.45¢ | 35% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Nodak Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,803 | 12.08¢ | 42% |
| City of Hillsboro - (ND) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 13 MW | 77% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 23% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Crystal Sugar Hillsboro | American Crystal Sugar Co | Coal | 13 MW | 1990 |
| Hillsboro | City of Hillsboro - (ND) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2002 |
The Traill County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,556 | $62,734 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 226 | $86,219 | 1.20 |
| Electrical contractors | 12 | $60,301 | 0.47 |
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 Traill County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Traill County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Cass County.
Traill County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Traill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traill County | 7,920 | ▲ 4.9% | 17 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 201,794 | ▲ 7.1% | 4 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Grand Forks County | 74,501 | ▲ 3.1% | — | — | 3 | — |
| Norman County MN | 6,336 | ▲ 18.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County MN | 30,545 | ▼ 1.2% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Steele County | 1,797 | ▼ 9.1% | 170 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Traill County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Traill County, North Dakota?
6 utilities have service territory in Traill County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Cass County Elec Coop Inc, Otter Tail Power Co, Nodak Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 12.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Traill County?
2 operating plants with 17 MW of capacity. The largest is American Crystal Sugar Hillsboro (13 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Traill County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Traill County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cass County.
Is Traill County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,556 jobs in 2025 against 3,390 in 2019 (+4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 150 to 226.
Does Traill County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Traill County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.