Sheridan County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sheridan and Ranchester
Sheridan County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Sheridan County, 5% of Wyoming's total. Sheridan County is home to Sheridan, Ranchester and Dayton. Construction employs 1,556, up 23.4% since 2019, and construction is 2.0 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 14,727 jobs in 2025, up 9.6% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 23 Wyoming counties).
Cities and towns in Sheridan County
Sheridan County is home to Sheridan, Ranchester and Dayton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arvada, Big Horn, Parkman, Powder Horn, Story.
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 Sheridan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 31,006 | 33,241 | ▲ 7.2% | 7th of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,435 | 14,727 | ▲ 9.6% | 4th of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,933 | $60,114 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,261 | 1,556 | ▲ 23.4% | 4th of 14 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16 | 4 | ▼ 75.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 2.5% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — |
8 MW has retired here since 2019, including Arvada (natural gas, 8 MW, 2021). Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Powder River Energy Corp is the largest utility serving Sheridan County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.73¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.98¢ median for Wyoming utilities. 33,241 people live here, up 7.2% since 2020, 7th of 23 Wyoming counties by population.
Who powers Sheridan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sheridan County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powder River Energy Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,406 | 11.73¢ | 38% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 14,706 | 11.77¢ | 48% |
| Big Horn Rural Electric Co | — | — | — | — | — |
| Big Horn County Elec 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 15 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada | Basin Electric Power Coop | Natural gas | 15 MW | 2002 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvada | Natural gas | 8 MW | 2021 |
The Sheridan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,727 | $60,114 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,556 | $71,887 | 1.99 |
| Data processing and hosting | 4 | $63,721 | 0.09 |
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 Sheridan County
2 data centers in Sheridan County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Sheridan County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Sheridan County, Campbell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan County | 33,241 | ▲ 9.6% | 15 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Big Horn County MT | 12,752 | ▼ 7.6% | 397 MW | — | — | — |
| Big Horn County | 12,024 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Campbell County | 48,145 | ▼ 2.1% | 1,362 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Johnson County | 8,908 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Powder River County MT | 1,781 | ▲ 24.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Wyoming
Sheridan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sheridan County, Wyoming?
4 utilities have service territory in Sheridan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Powder River Energy Corp, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Big Horn Rural Electric Co, Big Horn County Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Powder River Energy Corp, charged residential customers 11.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Sheridan, WY in?
Sheridan is in Sheridan County, Wyoming. About 20,015 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Sheridan County?
1 operating plant with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Arvada (15 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Sheridan County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Sheridan County.
Is Sheridan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,727 jobs in 2025 against 13,435 in 2019 (+9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,261 to 1,556.
Does Sheridan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sheridan County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.