Potter County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gettysburg
Potter 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. Potter County is home to Gettysburg. Employers here counted 797 jobs in 2025, up 2.2% from 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Potter 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. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 2,377 people live here, down 3.8% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Potter County
Potter County is home to Gettysburg.
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 Potter County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,472 | 2,377 | ▼ 3.8% | 54th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 780 | 797 | ▲ 2.2% | 37th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,606 | $48,871 | ▲ 26.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Who powers Potter County
Utilities with service territory in Potter 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% |
| Cam Wal 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 Potter County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Potter County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 797 | $48,871 | 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 Potter County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Potter County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Potter County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Potter County, Hyde 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potter County | 2,377 | ▲ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Dewey County | 5,419 | ▲ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Edmunds County | 4,022 | ▲ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Faulk County | 2,178 | ▲ 11.3% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Hyde County | 1,191 | ▼ 2.7% | 491 MW | — | — | — |
| Sully County | 1,479 | ▼ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Walworth County | 5,217 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Potter County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Potter County, South Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Potter County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Cam Wal Electric Coop, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Potter County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Potter County.
Is Potter County adding jobs?
Employers counted 797 jobs in 2025 against 780 in 2019 (+2.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Potter County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Potter County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.