Clark County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clark
No data center or power plant project is on record in Clark County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Clark County is home to Clark. Construction employs 115, up 25.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,205 jobs in 2025, up 14.7% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 66 South Dakota counties). 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Clark County
Clark County is home to Clark.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Collins Colony, Crocker, Fordham Colony, Hillcrest Colony, Mayfield Colony, Silver Lake Colony.
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 Clark County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,850 | 4,031 | ▲ 4.7% | 40th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,051 | 1,205 | ▲ 14.7% | 5th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,420 | $47,196 | ▲ 37.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 92 | 115 | ▲ 25.0% | 13th of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 1.9% | ▼ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 222 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Clark County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 4,031 people live here, up 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers Clark County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clark County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy - (SD) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 51,467 | 12.56¢ | 40% |
| Northern Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,757 | 11.29¢ | 18% |
| Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| H-D Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kingsbury Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 99% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 220 MW | 99% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crocker Wind Farm | Geronimo Power | Wind | 200 MW | 2019 |
| Oak Tree Energy | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 20 MW | 2014 |
| Clark (SD) | NorthWestern Energy - (SD) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 1970 |
The Clark County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,205 | $47,196 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 115 | $59,242 | 1.80 |
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 Clark County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clark County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Clark County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clark County, Codington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 4,031 | ▲ 14.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Beadle County | 19,624 | ▼ 1.5% | 69 MW | — | — | — |
| Codington County | 29,562 | ▲ 6.3% | 468 MW | — | — | — |
| Day County | 5,484 | ▲ 4.6% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamlin County | 6,900 | ▲ 29.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Kingsbury County | 5,284 | ▲ 3.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Spink County | 6,155 | ▲ 0.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Clark County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clark County, South Dakota?
6 utilities have service territory in Clark County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Northern Electric Coop, Inc, Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc, H-D Electric Coop Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clark County?
3 operating plants with 222 MW of capacity. The largest is Crocker Wind Farm (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Clark County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clark County.
Is Clark County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,205 jobs in 2025 against 1,051 in 2019 (+14.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 92 to 115.
Does Clark County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clark County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.