Kingsbury County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to De Smet
No data center or power plant project is on record in Kingsbury County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Kingsbury County is home to De Smet, Arlington and Lake Preston. Construction employs 124, up 13.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 1,767 jobs in 2025, up 3.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 24 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 2.3% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Kingsbury County
Kingsbury County is home to De Smet, Arlington and Lake Preston.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Spring Lake 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 Kingsbury County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,200 | 5,284 | ▲ 1.6% | 34th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,710 | 1,767 | ▲ 3.3% | 32nd of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,491 | $50,580 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 109 | 124 | ▲ 13.8% | 20th of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.3% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Kingsbury County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 5,284 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Kingsbury County
Utilities with service territory in Kingsbury 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% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,213 | 12.94¢ | 6% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 9,048 | 10.93¢ | 78% |
| Dakota Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,224 | 15.30¢ | 18% |
| City of Arlington - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Badger - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kingsbury 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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 24 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Preston | Otter Tail Power Co | Petroleum | 24 MW | 1978 |
The Kingsbury County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,767 | $50,580 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 124 | $55,058 | 1.32 |
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 Kingsbury County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kingsbury County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Kingsbury County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Kingsbury County, Brookings 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsbury County | 5,284 | ▲ 3.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Beadle County | 19,624 | ▼ 1.5% | 69 MW | — | — | — |
| Brookings County | 37,635 | ▲ 5.2% | 682 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Clark County | 4,031 | ▲ 14.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamlin County | 6,900 | ▲ 29.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 10,993 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Miner County | 2,281 | ▲ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Sanborn County | 2,388 | ▲ 13.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Kingsbury County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kingsbury County, South Dakota?
8 utilities have service territory in Kingsbury County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop, Otter Tail Power Co, Dakota Energy Coop Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Kingsbury County?
1 operating plant with 24 MW of capacity. The largest is Lake Preston (24 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Kingsbury County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kingsbury County.
Is Kingsbury County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,767 jobs in 2025 against 1,710 in 2019 (+3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 109 to 124.
Does Kingsbury County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kingsbury County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.