McPherson County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Grassland Colony and Long Lake Colony
No data center or power plant project is on record in McPherson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. McPherson County is home to Eureka. Next door, Dickey County, North Dakota, has 10 data centers. Employers here counted 554 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving McPherson County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. 2,347 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Cities and towns in McPherson County
McPherson County is home to Eureka.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Grassland Colony, Long Lake Colony, Spring 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 McPherson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,399 | 2,347 | ▼ 2.2% | 55th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 568 | 554 | ▼ 2.5% | 48th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,741 | $44,396 | ▲ 35.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.1% | ● 0.0pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019.
Who powers McPherson County
Utilities with service territory in McPherson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 6,367 | 14.59¢ | 48% |
| Northern Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,757 | 11.29¢ | 18% |
| FEM Electric Assn, 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 McPherson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The McPherson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 554 | $44,396 | 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 McPherson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in McPherson County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
McPherson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border McPherson County, Dickey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson County | 2,347 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 37,561 | ▼ 4.0% | 327 MW | 32 MW | — | — |
| Campbell County | 1,377 | ▼ 5.3% | 94 MW | — | — | — |
| Dickey County ND | 4,895 | ▲ 38.7% | 330 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Edmunds County | 4,022 | ▲ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| McIntosh County ND | 2,451 | ▼ 3.2% | 400 MW | — | — | — |
| Walworth County | 5,217 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
McPherson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McPherson County, South Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in McPherson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Northern Electric Coop, Inc, FEM Electric Assn, Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in McPherson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in McPherson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dickey County.
Is McPherson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 554 jobs in 2025 against 568 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does McPherson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McPherson County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.