Codington County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Watertown
No data center or power plant project is on record in Codington County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 1,033, up 45.3% since 2019. Codington County is home to Watertown, Pelican Township, Lake Township and Sheridan Township. 401 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 17,187 jobs in 2025, up 6.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 468 MW of capacity, 86% of it wind, the 7th largest fleet in South Dakota.
Cities and towns in Codington County
Codington County is home to Watertown, Pelican Township, Lake Township and Sheridan Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Waverly.
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 Codington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,353 | 29,562 | ▲ 4.3% | 7th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,167 | 17,187 | ▲ 6.3% | 17th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,999 | $54,666 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 711 | 1,033 | ▲ 45.3% | 8th of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 1.8% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 401 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 1.8% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Codington County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 29,562 people live here, up 4.3% since 2020, 7th of 66 South Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Codington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +401 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Codington 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% |
| Watertown Municipal Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 11,633 | 9.30¢ | 33% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 9,048 | 10.93¢ | 78% |
| Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| H-D Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Whetstone Valley Elec 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 | 401 MW | 86% |
| Petroleum | 68 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crowned Ridge Wind II Energy Center | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Wind | 201 MW | 2020 |
| Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center | Crowned Ridge Wind, LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2019 |
| Watertown Power Plant | Missouri Basin Muni Power Agny | Petroleum | 68 MW | 1978 |
The Codington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,187 | $54,666 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,033 | $66,276 | 1.13 |
| Data processing and hosting | 4 | $143,650 | 0.07 |
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 Codington County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Codington County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Codington County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Codington County, Deuel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codington County | 29,562 | ▲ 6.3% | 468 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 4,031 | ▲ 14.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Day County | 5,484 | ▲ 4.6% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Deuel County | 4,408 | ▲ 14.4% | 803 MW | 145 MW | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,534 | ▼ 2.5% | 915 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamlin County | 6,900 | ▲ 29.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Codington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Codington County, South Dakota?
7 utilities have service territory in Codington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Watertown Municipal Utilities, Otter Tail Power Co, Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Watertown, SD in?
Watertown is in Codington County, South Dakota. About 23,736 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Codington County?
3 operating plants with 468 MW of capacity. The largest is Crowned Ridge Wind II Energy Center (201 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Codington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Codington County.
Is Codington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,187 jobs in 2025 against 16,167 in 2019 (+6.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 711 to 1,033.
Does Codington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Codington County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.