Jackson County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wanblee
Jackson 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. Jackson County is home to Kadoka. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. Next door, Pennington County has 2 data centers. Employers here counted 691 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. West River Electric Assn Inc is the largest utility serving Jackson County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities.
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to Kadoka.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Wanblee.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,799 | 2,666 | ▼ 4.8% | 51st of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 709 | 691 | ▼ 2.5% | 50th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,170 | $43,358 | ▲ 39.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 2.9% | ▼ 3.0pts | — |
2,666 people live here, down 4.8% since 2020.
Who powers Jackson County
Utilities with service territory in Jackson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West River Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,423 | 14.25¢ | 30% |
| LaCreek Electric Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| West Central Electric Coop 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.
No operating power plant is located in Jackson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 691 | $43,358 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 17 | $43,204 | 0.46 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Jackson County, Pennington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 2,666 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Bennett County | 3,307 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Haakon County | 1,802 | ▲ 9.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Jones County | 913 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Mellette County | 2,137 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Oglala Lakota County | 13,338 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Pennington County | 116,792 | ▲ 8.8% | 278 MW | 100 MW | 2 | — |
| Todd County | 8,863 | ▼ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, South Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: West River Electric Assn Inc, LaCreek Electric Assn, Inc, West Central Electric Coop Inc - (SD), WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, West River Electric Assn Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pennington County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 691 jobs in 2025 against 709 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.