Miner County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cloverleaf Colony and Fedora
Miner 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. Miner County is home to Howard. Employers here counted 777 jobs in 2025, up 5.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Miner 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. 2,281 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Miner County
Miner County is home to Howard.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cloverleaf Colony, Fedora, Roswell, Shannon 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 Miner County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,300 | 2,281 | ▼ 0.8% | 56th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 735 | 777 | ▲ 5.7% | 19th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,175 | $46,707 | ▲ 36.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
Who powers Miner County
Utilities with service territory in Miner 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% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,213 | 12.94¢ | 6% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD) | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,160 | 12.41¢ | 26% |
| 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 Howard - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Miner County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Miner County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 777 | $46,707 | 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 Miner County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Miner County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Miner County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Miner County, McCook 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miner County | 2,281 | ▲ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Beadle County | 19,624 | ▼ 1.5% | 69 MW | — | — | — |
| Hanson County | 3,456 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Kingsbury County | 5,284 | ▲ 3.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 10,993 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| McCook County | 5,964 | ▲ 8.9% | — | 99 MW | — | — |
| Sanborn County | 2,388 | ▲ 13.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Miner County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Miner County, South Dakota?
6 utilities have service territory in Miner County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop, Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD), Central Electric Coop, Inc - (SD). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 13.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Miner County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Miner County.
Is Miner County adding jobs?
Employers counted 777 jobs in 2025 against 735 in 2019 (+5.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Miner County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Miner County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.