Hutchinson County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Parkston and Freeman
Hutchinson 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. Construction employs 128, up 80.3% since 2019. Hutchinson County is home to Parkston, Freeman, Menno and Tripp. Next door, Yankton County has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 1.5% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,775 jobs in 2025, up 4.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Hutchinson County
Hutchinson County is home to Parkston, Freeman, Menno and Tripp.
And 4 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kaylor, Maxwell Colony, Milltown, New Elm Spring Colony, Old Elm Spring Colony, Tschetter Colony, Wolf Creek Colony.
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 Hutchinson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,424 | 7,413 | ▼ 0.1% | 25th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,658 | 2,775 | ▲ 4.4% | 28th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,369 | $50,555 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 71 | 128 | ▲ 80.3% | 1st of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 1.5% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Hutchinson County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.87¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. 7,413 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Hutchinson County
Utilities with service territory in Hutchinson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Investor Owned | Bundled | 92,204 | 13.87¢ | 45% |
| NorthWestern Energy - (SD) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 51,467 | 12.56¢ | 40% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD) | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,160 | 12.41¢ | 26% |
| Douglas 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 Hutchinson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Hutchinson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,775 | $50,555 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 128 | $72,933 | 0.87 |
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 Hutchinson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hutchinson County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Yankton County.
Hutchinson County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Hutchinson County, Yankton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson County | 7,413 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Bon Homme County | 7,244 | ▼ 2.9% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Charles Mix County | 9,303 | ▲ 4.4% | 320 MW | — | — | — |
| Davison County | 20,069 | ▲ 2.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 2,888 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Hanson County | 3,456 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| McCook County | 5,964 | ▲ 8.9% | — | 99 MW | — | — |
| Turner County | 9,314 | ▲ 17.0% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Yankton County | 23,635 | ▼ 0.2% | 233 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
More of South Dakota
Hutchinson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hutchinson County, South Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Hutchinson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD), Douglas Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 13.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Hutchinson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hutchinson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Yankton County.
Is Hutchinson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,775 jobs in 2025 against 2,658 in 2019 (+4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 71 to 128.
Does Hutchinson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hutchinson County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.