Harding County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Harding 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. Harding County is home to Buffalo and Camp Crook. Construction employs 100, up 1.0% since 2019, and construction is 4.2 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 453 jobs in 2025, down 5.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 1.4% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Harding County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities.
Cities and towns in Harding County
Harding County is home to Buffalo and Camp Crook.
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 Harding County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,303 | 1,331 | ▲ 2.1% | 64th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 477 | 453 | ▼ 5.0% | 61st of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,273 | $50,576 | ▲ 14.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 99 | 100 | ▲ 1.0% | 29th of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 1.4% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
1,331 people live here, up 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Harding County
Utilities with service territory in Harding County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 6,367 | 14.59¢ | 48% |
| Grand Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southeast Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Harding County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Harding County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 453 | $50,576 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 100 | $62,865 | 4.17 |
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 Harding County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Harding County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Harding County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Harding County, Bowman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harding County | 1,331 | ▼ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Adams County ND | 2,275 | ▼ 11.5% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Bowman County ND | 2,762 | ▼ 5.5% | 220 MW | — | — | — |
| Butte County | 10,856 | ▲ 3.2% | 105 MW | — | — | — |
| Carter County MT | 1,383 | ▲ 28.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Fallon County MT | 2,959 | ▼ 12.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Perkins County | 2,853 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Harding County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Harding County, South Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Harding County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Grand Electric Coop, Inc, Southeast Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Harding County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Harding County.
Is Harding County adding jobs?
Employers counted 453 jobs in 2025 against 477 in 2019 (-5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 99 to 100.
Does Harding County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Harding County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.