Hughes County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pierre
Hughes 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. Hughes County is home to Pierre. Construction employs 424, up 7.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 787 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro, the 3rd largest fleet in South Dakota. Unemployment was 1.7% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Hughes County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Hughes County
Hughes County is home to Pierre.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Oahe Acres.
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 Hughes County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,734 | 17,570 | ▼ 0.9% | 12th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,656 | 10,733 | ▲ 0.7% | 41st of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,210 | $64,159 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 396 | 424 | ▲ 7.1% | 22nd of 31 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 56 | 34 | ▼ 39.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17 | 24 | ▲ 41.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 1.7% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 10,733 jobs in 2025, up 0.7% from 2019. 17,570 people live here, down 0.9% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 34, down 39.3% since 2019 against up 38.0% statewide, at an average $59,366 a year.
Who powers Hughes County
Utilities with service territory in Hughes 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% |
| City of Pierre - (SD) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,126 | 10.65¢ | 16% |
| Oahe Electric 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 786 MW | 100% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oahe | USACE-Omaha | Hydro | 786 MW | 1962 |
| Pierre Solar | Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny | Solar | 1 MW | 2016 |
The Hughes County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,733 | $64,159 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 424 | $65,458 | 0.75 |
| Electrical contractors | 34 | $59,366 | 0.44 |
| Data processing and hosting | 24 | $106,651 | 0.72 |
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 Hughes County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hughes County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Hughes County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Hughes County, Hyde 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes County | 17,570 | ▲ 0.7% | 787 MW | — | — | — |
| Hyde County | 1,191 | ▼ 2.7% | 491 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyman County | 3,694 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Stanley County | 3,018 | ▲ 12.8% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Sully County | 1,479 | ▼ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Hughes County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hughes County, South Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Hughes County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), City of Pierre - (SD), Oahe Electric Coop Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pierre, SD in?
Pierre is in Hughes County, South Dakota. About 13,848 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hughes County?
2 operating plants with 787 MW of capacity. The largest is Oahe (786 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Hughes County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hughes County.
Is Hughes County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,733 jobs in 2025 against 10,656 in 2019 (+0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 396 to 424.
Does Hughes County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hughes County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.