Gregory County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gregory
No data center or power plant project is on record in Gregory County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Gregory County is home to Gregory and Burke. Unemployment was 1.6% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,573 jobs in 2025, up 6.1% from 2019. Rosebud Electric Coop Inc is the largest utility serving Gregory County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. 4,037 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Gregory County
Gregory County is home to Gregory and Burke.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): St. Charles.
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 Gregory County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,993 | 4,037 | ▲ 1.1% | 39th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,482 | 1,573 | ▲ 6.1% | 18th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,161 | $41,781 | ▲ 26.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 1.6% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
Who powers Gregory County
Utilities with service territory in Gregory County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosebud Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,856 | 10.63¢ | 27% |
| City of Burke - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Gregory County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Gregory County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,573 | $41,781 | 1.00 |
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 Gregory County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gregory County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Gregory County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Gregory County, Charles Mix 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory County | 4,037 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Boyd County NE | 1,674 | ▼ 9.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Brule County | 5,278 | ▲ 3.8% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Charles Mix County | 9,303 | ▲ 4.4% | 320 MW | — | — | — |
| Keya Paha County NE | 792 | ▲ 2.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyman County | 3,694 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Tripp County | 5,708 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Gregory County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gregory County, South Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Gregory County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Rosebud Electric Coop Inc, City of Burke - (SD), WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Rosebud Electric Coop Inc, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Gregory County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gregory County.
Is Gregory County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,573 jobs in 2025 against 1,482 in 2019 (+6.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Gregory County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gregory County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.