Ward County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Minot, Tatman Township and Waterford Township
The build-out shows up in Ward County as work for the electrical trades. Ward County is home to Minot, Tatman Township, Waterford Township and Nedrose Township. Electrical contractors employ 426, up 46.4% since 2019 against up 11.4% statewide, at an average $84,637 a year. Next door, McLean County has 1 data center. Construction employs 1,900, up 6.5% since 2019. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Minot Wind Project (wind, 3 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in Ward County
Ward County is home to Minot, Tatman Township, Waterford Township and Nedrose Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Foxholm, Logan, Minot AFB, Ruthville.
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 Ward County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 69,920 | 68,233 | ▼ 2.4% | 4th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31,754 | 31,171 | ▼ 1.8% | 26th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,377 | $62,404 | ▲ 21.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,784 | 1,900 | ▲ 6.5% | 15th of 20 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 291 | 426 | ▲ 46.4% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 92 | 112 | ▲ 21.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.0% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Its power plants have 120 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Employers here counted 31,171 jobs in 2025, down 1.8% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Ward County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. Unemployment was 2.0% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. 68,233 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020, 4th of 53 North Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Ward County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ward 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% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 79,354 | 11.72¢ | 67% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Verendrye Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,336 | 10.70¢ | 24% |
| Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,405 | 7.24¢ | 26% |
| McLean Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,711 | 14.25¢ | 23% |
| Burke-Divide Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,789 | 7.88¢ | 7% |
| 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 | 120 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Winds ND1 | Basin Electric Power Coop | Wind | 116 MW | 2009 |
| Minot Wind Project | Basin Electric Power Coop | Wind | 4 MW | 2009 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minot Wind Project | Wind | 3 MW | 2022 |
The Ward County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 31,171 | $62,404 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,900 | $74,894 | 1.15 |
| Electrical contractors | 426 | $84,637 | 1.90 |
| Electric utilities | 112 | $145,258 | 1.33 |
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 Ward County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ward County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Ward County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Ward County, McLean 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ward County | 68,233 | ▼ 1.8% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Burke County | 2,132 | ▼ 7.6% | 199 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| McHenry County | 5,130 | ▲ 2.3% | 112 MW | — | — | — |
| McLean County | 9,740 | ▲ 2.6% | 1,216 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Mountrail County | 9,395 | ▼ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Renville County | 2,331 | ▼ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Ward County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ward County, North Dakota?
8 utilities have service territory in Ward County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Otter Tail Power Co, Verendrye Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 12.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Minot, ND in?
Minot is in Ward County, North Dakota. About 47,308 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ward County?
2 operating plants with 120 MW of capacity. The largest is Prairie Winds ND1 (116 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Ward County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ward County. The nearest activity on record is next door in McLean County.
Is Ward County adding jobs?
Employers counted 31,171 jobs in 2025 against 31,754 in 2019 (-1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,784 to 1,900.
Does Ward County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ward County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.