Minnehaha County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sioux Falls, Brandon and Dell Rapids
Minnehaha County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in Minnehaha County, 55% of South Dakota's total. Minnehaha County is home to most of Sioux Falls (172,103 of its 213,748 residents), Brandon, Dell Rapids and Hartford. Construction employs 8,825, up 36.1% since 2019. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Electrical contractors employ 1,363, up 48.5% since 2019 against up 38.0% statewide, at an average $89,909 a year.
Cities and towns in Minnehaha County
Minnehaha County is home to most of Sioux Falls (172,103 of its 213,748 residents), Brandon, Dell Rapids and Hartford.
And 10 smaller places.
- Sioux Falls also extends into Lincoln County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Anderson, Lyons, Meadow View Addition, Pine Lakes Addition, Renner Corner, Rowena.
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 Minnehaha County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 197,688 | 212,691 | ▲ 7.6% | 1st of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 128,623 | 139,772 | ▲ 8.7% | 15th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,258 | $66,906 | ▲ 33.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,483 | 8,825 | ▲ 36.1% | 9th of 31 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 918 | 1,363 | ▲ 48.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 181 | 288 | ▲ 59.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 82 | 173 | ▲ 111.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 139,772 jobs in 2025, up 8.7% from 2019. Owners plan to retire 166 MW more by 2035, led by Angus Anson in 2029. Its power plants have 406 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 8th largest fleet in South Dakota. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Minnehaha County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.87¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. 212,691 people live here, up 7.6% since 2020, 1st of 66 South Dakota counties by population. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019.
Who powers Minnehaha County
Utilities with service territory in Minnehaha 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% |
| City of Sioux Falls - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 | 406 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angus Anson | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Natural gas | 406 MW | 1994 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angus Anson | Natural gas | 166 MW | 2029 |
The Minnehaha County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 139,772 | $66,906 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,825 | $78,630 | 1.19 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,363 | $89,909 | 1.35 |
| Power and communication line construction | 288 | $100,133 | 1.28 |
| Electric utilities | 158 | $163,188 | 0.42 |
| Data processing and hosting | 173 | $110,153 | 0.40 |
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 Minnehaha County
6 data centers in Minnehaha County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-08 |
Minnehaha County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Minnehaha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 212,691 | ▲ 8.7% | 406 MW | — | 6 | 1 |
| Lake County | 10,993 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 77,145 | ▲ 27.9% | 4 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Lyon County IA | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| McCook County | 5,964 | ▲ 8.9% | — | 99 MW | — | — |
| Moody County | 6,632 | ▼ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Pipestone County MN | 9,260 | ▼ 5.3% | 385 MW | — | — | — |
| Rock County MN | 9,524 | ▲ 17.3% | 328 MW | — | — | — |
| Turner County | 9,314 | ▲ 17.0% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Minnehaha County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Minnehaha County, South Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Minnehaha County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop, Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD), City of Sioux Falls - (SD). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 13.87¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Sioux Falls, SD in?
Most of Sioux Falls is in Minnehaha County: 172,103 of its 213,748 residents, or 81%. The rest of the city lies in Lincoln County.
What county is Brandon, SD in?
Brandon is in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. About 11,306 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Minnehaha County?
1 operating plant with 406 MW of capacity. The largest is Angus Anson (406 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Minnehaha County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in Minnehaha County.
Is Minnehaha County adding jobs?
Employers counted 139,772 jobs in 2025 against 128,623 in 2019 (+8.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,483 to 8,825.
Does Minnehaha County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Minnehaha County, 0 in force.