Custer County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Custer
Custer County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Custer County is home to Custer. Construction employs 192, up 18.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Pennington County has 2 data centers. Employers here counted 2,690 jobs in 2025, up 10.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Custer County
Custer County is home to Custer.
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 Custer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,333 | 9,431 | ▲ 13.2% | 19th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,428 | 2,690 | ▲ 10.8% | 11th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,507 | $50,345 | ▲ 41.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 162 | 192 | ▲ 18.5% | 17th of 31 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14 | 16 | ▲ 14.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 2.2% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
Electrical contractors employ 16, up 14.3% since 2019 against up 38.0% statewide, at an average $49,519 a year. 9,431 people live here, up 13.2% since 2020. Black Hills Power, Inc. is the largest utility serving Custer County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities.
Who powers Custer County
Utilities with service territory in Custer County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 60,951 | 14.37¢ | 51% |
| Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,227 | 14.76¢ | 22% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Custer County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Custer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,690 | $50,345 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 192 | $48,729 | 1.35 |
| Electrical contractors | 16 | $49,519 | 0.82 |
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 Custer County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Custer County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Custer County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Custer County, Pennington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County | 9,431 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Fall River County | 7,467 | ▲ 2.2% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Niobrara County WY | 2,341 | ▼ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Oglala Lakota County | 13,338 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Pennington County | 116,792 | ▲ 8.8% | 278 MW | 100 MW | 2 | — |
| Weston County WY | 6,840 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Custer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Custer County, South Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Custer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Black Hills Power, Inc., Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Black Hills Power, Inc., charged residential customers 14.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Custer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Custer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pennington County.
Is Custer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,690 jobs in 2025 against 2,428 in 2019 (+10.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 162 to 192.
Does Custer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Custer County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.