Lincoln County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sioux Falls, Harrisburg and Tea
Lincoln County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Lincoln County, 9% of South Dakota's total. Employers here counted 30,502 jobs in 2025, up 27.9% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 66 South Dakota counties). Lincoln County is home to part of Sioux Falls (41,645 of its 213,748 residents), Harrisburg, Tea and Canton. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Lincoln County data center moratorium (failed)”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Sioux Falls Hyperscale Data Center (500 MW).
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
Lincoln County is home to part of Sioux Falls (41,645 of its 213,748 residents), Harrisburg, Tea and Canton.
And 1 smaller places.
- Sioux Falls also extends into Minnehaha County.
- Beresford also extends into Union County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Shindler.
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 Lincoln County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,650 | 77,145 | ▲ 17.5% | 3rd of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,850 | 30,502 | ▲ 27.9% | 2nd of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,940 | $69,490 | ▲ 31.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,356 | 2,939 | ▲ 24.7% | 15th of 31 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 191 | 270 | ▲ 41.4% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 118 | 67 | ▼ 43.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.0% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 2,939, up 24.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 270, up 41.4% since 2019 against up 38.0% statewide, at an average $64,764 a year. 77,145 people live here, up 17.5% since 2020, 3rd of 66 South Dakota counties by population. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Lincoln County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.87¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. Unemployment was 2.0% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019.
Who powers Lincoln County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lincoln 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% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD) | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,160 | 12.41¢ | 26% |
| MidAmerican Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,236 | 8.68¢ | 20% |
| City of Beresford | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clay-Union Electric Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POET Biorefining - Hudson | POET Biorefining - Hudson | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2019 |
The Lincoln County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 30,502 | $69,490 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,939 | $72,683 | 1.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 270 | $64,764 | 1.23 |
| Power and communication line construction | 67 | $83,662 | 1.36 |
| Electric utilities | 119 | $135,292 | 1.44 |
| Data processing and hosting | 14 | $121,690 | 0.15 |
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 Lincoln County
1 data center in Lincoln County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County data center moratorium (failed) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-02 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls Hyperscale Data Center | denied | 500 MW |
Lincoln County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lincoln County, Minnehaha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 77,145 | ▲ 27.9% | 4 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Clay County | 15,031 | ▲ 0.2% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyon County IA | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Minnehaha County | 212,691 | ▲ 8.7% | 406 MW | — | 6 | 1 |
| Sioux County IA | 36,774 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Turner County | 9,314 | ▲ 17.0% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 17,402 | ▼ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Lincoln County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lincoln County, South Dakota?
6 utilities have service territory in Lincoln County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD), MidAmerican Energy Co, City of Beresford. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 13.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Is Sioux Falls in Lincoln County?
Partly. 41,645 of Sioux Falls's 213,748 residents (19%) live in Lincoln County; most of the city is in Minnehaha County.
What county is Harrisburg, SD in?
Harrisburg is in Lincoln County, South Dakota. About 10,405 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lincoln County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is POET Biorefining - Hudson (4 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Lincoln County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Lincoln County.
Is Lincoln County adding jobs?
Employers counted 30,502 jobs in 2025 against 23,850 in 2019 (+27.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,356 to 2,939.
Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Lincoln County, 0 in force.