Price County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Park Falls, Worcester and Phillips
No data center or power plant project is on record in Price County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Electrical contractors employ 46, up 1050.0% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $74,130 a year. Construction employs 127, up 60.8% since 2019. Price County is home to Park Falls, Worcester, Phillips and Lake. Employers here counted 4,702 jobs in 2025, down 11.3% from 2019. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Park Falls Industrial Management (other technologies, 6 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Price County
Price County is home to Park Falls, Worcester, Phillips and Lake.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ogema.
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 Price County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,032 | 13,988 | ▼ 0.3% | 66th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,299 | 4,702 | ▼ 11.3% | 70th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,176 | $50,229 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 79 | 127 | ▲ 60.8% | 5th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4 | 46 | ▲ 1050.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — |
1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 59% of it solar. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Price County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 13,988 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Price County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Price 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% |
| Jump River Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Price Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 59% |
| Hydro | 3 MW | 41% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flambeau Solar Partners | REC Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
| Flambeau Crowley Rapids Project | Zero6 Energy Hydro | Hydro | 2 MW | 1930 |
| Ogema | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2024 |
| Flambeau Lower Project | Zero6 Energy Hydro | Hydro | 1 MW | 1923 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Falls Industrial Management | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2019 |
The Price County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,702 | $50,229 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 127 | $64,050 | 0.51 |
| Electrical contractors | 46 | $74,130 | 1.36 |
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 Price County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Price County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Oneida County, Sawyer County.
Price County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Price County, Ashland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price County | 13,988 | ▼ 11.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Ashland County | 16,203 | ▼ 2.8% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Iron County | 6,127 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 28,403 | ▼ 8.7% | 45 MW | — | — | — |
| Oneida County | 38,131 | ▲ 6.7% | 30 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Rusk County | 14,146 | ▼ 11.4% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
| Sawyer County | 18,846 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Taylor County | 20,118 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Vilas County | 23,761 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Price County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Price County, Wisconsin?
3 utilities have service territory in Price County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Jump River Electric Coop Inc, Price Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Price County?
4 operating plants with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Flambeau Solar Partners (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Price County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Price County.
Is Price County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,702 jobs in 2025 against 5,299 in 2019 (-11.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 79 to 127.
Does Price County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Price County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.