St. Croix County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hudson, New Richmond and Troy
St. Croix County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 432, up 161.8% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $80,346 a year. St. Croix County is home to Hudson, New Richmond, Troy and part of River Falls (5,002 of its 17,916 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through September 1, 2027”. Construction employs 2,168, up 30.5% since 2019. 101 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Leeward Asset Management, LLC (solar), the 9th largest pipeline among Wisconsin's counties.
Cities and towns in St. Croix County
St. Croix County is home to Hudson, New Richmond, Troy and part of River Falls (5,002 of its 17,916 residents).
And 5 smaller places.
- River Falls also extends into Pierce County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Emerald, Houlton.
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 St. Croix County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 93,875 | 98,276 | ▲ 4.7% | 17th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34,131 | 37,379 | ▲ 9.5% | 6th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,378 | $56,795 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,661 | 2,168 | ▲ 30.5% | 13th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 165 | 432 | ▲ 161.8% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 142 | 164 | ▲ 15.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 101 MW | 1052% of today's fleet | 9th of 17 by size |
Next door, Washington County, Minnesota, has 3 data centers. Employers here counted 37,379 jobs in 2025, up 9.5% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 72 Wisconsin counties). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 10 MW of capacity, 75% of it solar. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving St. Croix County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 98,276 people live here, up 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers St. Croix County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in St. Croix 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% |
| Polk-Burnett Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,379 | 15.90¢ | 22% |
| Dunn County Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,482 | 15.45¢ | 24% |
| City of River Falls | Municipal | Bundled | 6,709 | 13.28¢ | 50% |
| City of New Richmond | Municipal | Bundled | 4,957 | 11.60¢ | 62% |
| Pierce-Pepin Coop Services | — | — | — | — | — |
| St Croix 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 7 MW | 75% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 25% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Future | OneEnergy, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Next Generation | OneEnergy, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Apple River | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 2 MW | 1901 |
| Warren DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Prairie 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 101 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Leeward Asset Management, LLC |
The St. Croix County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 37,379 | $56,795 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,168 | $75,410 | 1.09 |
| Electrical contractors | 432 | $80,346 | 1.60 |
| Power and communication line construction | 164 | $90,316 | 2.72 |
| Data processing and hosting | 14 | $114,421 | 0.12 |
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 St. Croix County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through September 1, 2027 | In force | 2026-09 |
St. Croix County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border St. Croix County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix County | 98,276 | ▲ 9.5% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | 1 |
| Barron County | 46,484 | ▼ 3.6% | 33 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Dunn County | 46,223 | ▲ 3.2% | 15 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Pierce County | 43,519 | ▲ 0.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 45,803 | ▼ 1.0% | 146 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Washington County MN | 286,895 | ▲ 9.3% | 924 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
St. Croix County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Croix County, Wisconsin?
7 utilities have service territory in St. Croix County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Polk-Burnett Electric Coop, Dunn County Electric Coop, City of River Falls. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hudson, WI in?
Hudson is in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. About 15,019 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is New Richmond, WI in?
New Richmond is in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. About 10,988 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in St. Croix County?
4 operating plants with 10 MW of capacity. The largest is Bright Future (2 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in St. Croix County?
101 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Leeward Asset Management, LLC.
Are there data centers in St. Croix County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in St. Croix County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is St. Croix County adding jobs?
Employers counted 37,379 jobs in 2025 against 34,131 in 2019 (+9.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,661 to 2,168.
Does St. Croix County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for St. Croix County, 1 in force.