La Crosse County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to La Crosse, Onalaska and Holmen
La Crosse County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. La Crosse County is home to La Crosse, Onalaska, Holmen and West Salem. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through December 18, 2027”. Construction employs 3,015, up 17.0% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 372, up 15.9% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $77,302 a year. Owners plan to retire 188 MW more by 2035, led by French Island in 2030.
Cities and towns in La Crosse County
La Crosse County is home to La Crosse, Onalaska, Holmen and West Salem.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brice Prairie, French Island, Mindoro, St. Joseph.
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 La Crosse County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 120,955 | 121,339 | ▲ 0.3% | 12th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69,458 | 70,077 | ▲ 0.9% | 25th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,137 | $60,973 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,576 | 3,015 | ▲ 17.0% | 31st of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 321 | 372 | ▲ 15.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.9% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 192 MW of capacity, 82% of it petroleum. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving La Crosse County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Employers here counted 70,077 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 121,339 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers La Crosse County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in La Crosse County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| Riverland Energy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,970 | 16.30¢ | 13% |
| Village of Bangor - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vernon Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 158 MW | 82% |
| Other technologies | 32 MW | 16% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Island | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Other technologies | 188 MW | 1940 |
| Greenfield | OneEnergy, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Onalaska Campus Landfill Biogas | Gundersen Lutheran Biogas I LLC | Other technologies | 1 MW | 2012 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| French Island | Petroleum | 158 MW | 2030 |
| French Island | Other technologies | 30 MW | 2030 |
The La Crosse County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 70,077 | $60,973 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,015 | $75,902 | 0.81 |
| Electrical contractors | 372 | $77,302 | 0.74 |
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 La Crosse County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through December 18, 2027 | In force | 2026-06 |
La Crosse County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border La Crosse County, Winona 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse County | 121,339 | ▲ 0.9% | 192 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Houston County MN | 18,400 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 20,999 | ▼ 13.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 46,572 | ▼ 0.1% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Trempealeau County | 31,171 | ▼ 10.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Vernon County | 31,443 | ▼ 1.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Winona County MN | 50,523 | ▼ 2.3% | 32 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
La Crosse County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in La Crosse County, Wisconsin?
5 utilities have service territory in La Crosse County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Riverland Energy Cooperative, Village of Bangor - (WI), Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (WI). The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is La Crosse, WI in?
La Crosse is in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. About 50,784 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Onalaska, WI in?
Onalaska is in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. About 20,297 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Holmen, WI in?
Holmen is in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. About 12,105 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in La Crosse County?
3 operating plants with 192 MW of capacity. The largest is French Island (188 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in La Crosse County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in La Crosse County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Winona County.
Is La Crosse County adding jobs?
Employers counted 70,077 jobs in 2025 against 69,458 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,576 to 3,015.
Does La Crosse County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for La Crosse County, 1 in force.