Jerauld County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Spring Valley Colony
No data center or power plant project is on record in Jerauld County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Jerauld County is home to Wessington Springs. Employers here counted 1,553 jobs in 2025, up 5.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 213 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Jerauld County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Jerauld County
Jerauld County is home to Wessington Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Spring Valley 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 Jerauld County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,644 | 1,654 | ▲ 0.6% | 61st of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,477 | 1,553 | ▲ 5.1% | 23rd of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,830 | $48,003 | ▲ 26.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
1,654 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Jerauld County
Utilities with service territory in Jerauld 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% |
| Central Electric Coop, Inc - (SD) | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,483 | 13.64¢ | 8% |
| Dakota Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,224 | 15.30¢ | 18% |
| City of Wessington Springs | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 213 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Winds SD1 | Basin Electric Power Coop | Wind | 162 MW | 2011 |
| Wessington Springs | Wessington Wind | Wind | 51 MW | 2009 |
The Jerauld County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,553 | $48,003 | 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 Jerauld County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jerauld County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Jerauld County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Jerauld County, Buffalo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerauld County | 1,654 | ▲ 5.1% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Aurora County | 2,801 | ▼ 14.1% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Beadle County | 19,624 | ▼ 1.5% | 69 MW | — | — | — |
| Brule County | 5,278 | ▲ 3.8% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Buffalo County | 1,802 | ▲ 8.2% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
| Hand County | 3,121 | ▲ 4.7% | 226 MW | — | — | — |
| Sanborn County | 2,388 | ▲ 13.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Jerauld County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jerauld County, South Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Jerauld County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Central Electric Coop, Inc - (SD), Dakota Energy Coop Inc, City of Wessington Springs. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jerauld County?
2 operating plants with 213 MW of capacity. The largest is Prairie Winds SD1 (162 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Jerauld County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jerauld County.
Is Jerauld County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,553 jobs in 2025 against 1,477 in 2019 (+5.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Jerauld County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jerauld County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.