Meade County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sturgis, Box Elder and Summerset
Meade 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. Meade County is home to Sturgis, part of Box Elder (5,041 of its 13,936 residents), Summerset and Piedmont. Construction employs 1,084, up 25.5% since 2019, and construction is 2.2 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 9,206 jobs in 2025, up 22.5% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 66 South Dakota counties). Next door, Pennington County has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Meade County
Meade County is home to Sturgis, part of Box Elder (5,041 of its 13,936 residents), Summerset and Piedmont.
- Box Elder also extends into Pennington County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blackhawk, Blucksberg Mountain, Wonderland Homes.
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 Meade County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,897 | 30,711 | ▲ 2.7% | 6th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,513 | 9,206 | ▲ 22.5% | 3rd of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,004 | $59,192 | ▲ 40.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 864 | 1,084 | ▲ 25.5% | 12th of 31 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22 | 22 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
Black Hills Power, Inc. is the largest utility serving Meade County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. 30,711 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020, 6th of 66 South Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Meade County
Utilities with service territory in Meade County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 60,951 | 14.37¢ | 51% |
| West River Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,423 | 14.25¢ | 30% |
| Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,227 | 14.76¢ | 22% |
| Butte Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Faith - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 Meade County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Meade County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,206 | $59,192 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,084 | $67,543 | 2.22 |
| Power and communication line construction | 72 | $83,537 | 4.84 |
| Electric utilities | 22 | $127,388 | 0.88 |
| Data processing and hosting | 4 | $109,007 | 0.14 |
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 Meade County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Meade County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Meade County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Meade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County | 30,711 | ▲ 22.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Butte County | 10,856 | ▲ 3.2% | 105 MW | — | — | — |
| Haakon County | 1,802 | ▲ 9.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 29,459 | ▲ 14.2% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Pennington County | 116,792 | ▲ 8.8% | 278 MW | 100 MW | 2 | — |
| Perkins County | 2,853 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Ziebach County | 2,389 | ▼ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Meade County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Meade County, South Dakota?
7 utilities have service territory in Meade County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Black Hills Power, Inc., West River Electric Assn Inc, Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc, Butte Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Black Hills Power, Inc., charged residential customers 14.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Meade County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Meade County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pennington County.
Is Meade County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,206 jobs in 2025 against 7,513 in 2019 (+22.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 864 to 1,084.
Does Meade County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Meade County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.