Rusk County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ladysmith
Rusk 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. Rusk County is home to Ladysmith, Flambeau, Bruce and Grant. Employers here counted 4,396 jobs in 2025, down 11.4% from 2019. Construction employs 100, up 11.1% since 2019. Owners plan to retire 3 MW more by 2035, led by Ladysmith Dam in 2035. Its power plants have 36 MW of capacity, 88% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Rusk County
Rusk County is home to Ladysmith, Flambeau, Bruce and Grant.
And 6 smaller places.
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 Rusk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,169 | 14,146 | ▼ 0.2% | 65th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,964 | 4,396 | ▼ 11.4% | 71st of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,909 | $46,724 | ▲ 30.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 90 | 100 | ▲ 11.1% | 41st of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Rusk County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. 14,146 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Rusk County
Utilities with service territory in Rusk 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% |
| Barron Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,266 | 15.72¢ | 9% |
| North Central Power Co Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,991 | 15.73¢ | 21% |
| Chippewa Valley Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 32 MW | 88% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 9% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flambeau Hydroelectric Station | Dairyland Power Coop | Hydro | 19 MW | 1951 |
| Big Falls | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 8 MW | 1922 |
| Ladysmith Dam | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 3 MW | 1940 |
| Timberline Trail Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2006 |
| Thornapple | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 1 MW | 1927 |
| Conrath DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladysmith Dam | Hydro | 3 MW | 2035 |
The Rusk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,396 | $46,724 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 100 | $55,476 | 0.43 |
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 Rusk County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rusk County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Chippewa County, Sawyer County.
Rusk County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Rusk County, Chippewa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusk County | 14,146 | ▼ 11.4% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
| Barron County | 46,484 | ▼ 3.6% | 33 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 67,614 | ▲ 10.6% | 572 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Price County | 13,988 | ▼ 11.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Sawyer County | 18,846 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Taylor County | 20,118 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Washburn County | 17,087 | ▼ 5.8% | 3 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Rusk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rusk County, Wisconsin?
6 utilities have service territory in Rusk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Barron Electric Coop, North Central Power Co Inc, Chippewa Valley Electric Coop. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Rusk County?
6 operating plants with 36 MW of capacity. The largest is Flambeau Hydroelectric Station (19 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Rusk County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rusk County.
Is Rusk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,396 jobs in 2025 against 4,964 in 2019 (-11.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 90 to 100.
Does Rusk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rusk County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.