Monroe County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sparta, Tomah and La Grange
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Monroe County. Monroe County is home to Sparta, Tomah, La Grange and Angelo. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through January 21, 2028”. Construction employs 770, up 20.9% since 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 10 MW of capacity, 48% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Sparta, Tomah, La Grange and Angelo.
And 6 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cataract, Tunnel City.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 46,307 | 46,572 | ▲ 0.6% | 30th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,054 | 21,034 | ▼ 0.1% | 35th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,919 | $55,616 | ▲ 29.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 637 | 770 | ▲ 20.9% | 27th of 61 by growth |
| 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 | — |
Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Employers here counted 21,034 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 46,572 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Monroe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monroe County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 437,211 | 16.89¢ | 22% |
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| Oakdale Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,027 | 15.87¢ | 14% |
| Village of Bangor - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Cashton - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 5 MW | 48% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 23% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 19% |
| Natural gas | 1 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashton Greens Wind Farm | Cashton Greens Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 5 MW | 2012 |
| Cashton | Village of Cashton - (WI) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1932 |
| Cashton Solar | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,034 | $55,616 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 770 | $72,249 | 0.69 |
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 Monroe County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through January 21, 2028 | In force | 2026-01 |
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Monroe County, Juneau 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 46,572 | ▼ 0.1% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County | 20,999 | ▼ 13.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Juneau County | 26,649 | ▼ 2.3% | 45 MW | 230 MW | — | — |
| La Crosse County | 121,339 | ▲ 0.9% | 192 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Vernon County | 31,443 | ▼ 1.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Wisconsin?
7 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Northern States Power Co, Oakdale Electric Coop, Village of Bangor - (WI). The largest, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 16.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Monroe County?
3 operating plants with 10 MW of capacity. The largest is Cashton Greens Wind Farm (5 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monroe County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Juneau County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,034 jobs in 2025 against 21,054 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 637 to 770.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Monroe County, 1 in force.