Sawyer County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bass Lake, Hayward and Lenroot
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Sawyer County. Sawyer County is home to Bass Lake, Hayward, Lenroot and Round Lake. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. Construction employs 393, up 32.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 7,329 jobs in 2025, up 4.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Sawyer County
Sawyer County is home to Bass Lake, Hayward, Lenroot and Round Lake.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chief Lake, Little Round Lake, New Post, Reserve, Stone Lake.
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 Sawyer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,122 | 18,846 | ▲ 4.0% | 56th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,003 | 7,329 | ▲ 4.7% | 11th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,124 | $50,741 | ▲ 36.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 297 | 393 | ▲ 32.3% | 12th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 3.6% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 10 MW of capacity, 54% of it petroleum. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Sawyer 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. 18,846 people live here, up 4.0% since 2020.
Who powers Sawyer County
Utilities with service territory in Sawyer 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% |
| Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 54% |
| Hydro | 5 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | North Central Power Co Inc | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2002 |
| LAC Courte Oreilles Hydroelect | Zero6 Energy Hydro | Hydro | 3 MW | 1986 |
| Arpin Dam | Zero6 Energy Hydro | Hydro | 1 MW | 1971 |
The Sawyer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,329 | $50,741 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 393 | $52,223 | 1.01 |
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 Sawyer County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-08 |
Sawyer County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Sawyer County, Barron 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sawyer County | 18,846 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ashland County | 16,203 | ▼ 2.8% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Barron County | 46,484 | ▼ 3.6% | 33 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Bayfield County | 16,787 | ▲ 2.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 43,990 | ▼ 0.7% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Price County | 13,988 | ▼ 11.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Rusk County | 14,146 | ▼ 11.4% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
| Washburn County | 17,087 | ▼ 5.8% | 3 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Sawyer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sawyer County, Wisconsin?
6 utilities have service territory in Sawyer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Barron Electric Coop, North Central Power Co Inc, Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sawyer County?
3 operating plants with 10 MW of capacity. The largest is Winter (6 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Sawyer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sawyer County.
Is Sawyer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,329 jobs in 2025 against 7,003 in 2019 (+4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 297 to 393.
Does Sawyer County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Sawyer County, 1 in force.