Day County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Webster
No data center or power plant project is on record in Day County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 115, up 53.3% since 2019. Day County is home to Webster and Waubay Township. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,966 jobs in 2025, up 4.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 99 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Day County
Day County is home to Webster and Waubay Township.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Enemy Swim.
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 Day County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,442 | 5,484 | ▲ 0.8% | 32nd of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,879 | 1,966 | ▲ 4.6% | 26th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,960 | $47,942 | ▲ 41.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 75 | 115 | ▲ 53.3% | 4th of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 2.6% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Day County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 5,484 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Day County
Utilities with service territory in Day 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% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 9,048 | 10.93¢ | 78% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 6,367 | 14.59¢ | 48% |
| Northern Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,757 | 11.29¢ | 18% |
| Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lake Region Electric Assn, Inc - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 99 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day County Wind LLC | Day County Wind LLC | Wind | 99 MW | 2010 |
The Day County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,966 | $47,942 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 115 | $57,620 | 1.10 |
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 Day County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Day County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Day County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Day County, Grant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day County | 5,484 | ▲ 4.6% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 37,561 | ▼ 4.0% | 327 MW | 32 MW | — | — |
| Clark County | 4,031 | ▲ 14.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Codington County | 29,562 | ▲ 6.3% | 468 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,534 | ▼ 2.5% | 915 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 4,426 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Roberts County | 10,255 | ▼ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Spink County | 6,155 | ▲ 0.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Day County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Day County, South Dakota?
7 utilities have service territory in Day County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Otter Tail Power Co, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Northern Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Day County?
1 operating plant with 99 MW of capacity. The largest is Day County Wind LLC (99 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Day County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Day County.
Is Day County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,966 jobs in 2025 against 1,879 in 2019 (+4.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 75 to 115.
Does Day County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Day County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.