Roberts County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sisseton
Roberts 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. Roberts County is home to Sisseton, Goodwill Township and Sisseton Township. Next door, Richland County, North Dakota, has 295 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 3,420 jobs in 2025, down 4.7% from 2019. Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Roberts County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.93¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Roberts County
Roberts County is home to Sisseton, Goodwill Township and Sisseton Township.
And 13 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Agency Village, Long Hollow, Peever Flats, White Rock 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 Roberts County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,266 | 10,255 | ▼ 0.1% | 18th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,588 | 3,420 | ▼ 4.7% | 60th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,519 | $47,899 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 61 | 74 | ▲ 21.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
10,255 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Roberts County
Utilities with service territory in Roberts County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 9,048 | 10.93¢ | 78% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 6,367 | 14.59¢ | 48% |
| Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lake Region Electric Assn, Inc - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Traverse Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Whetstone Valley Elec 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 Roberts County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Roberts County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,420 | $47,899 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 74 | $44,830 | 0.41 |
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 Roberts County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Roberts County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Roberts County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Roberts County, Richland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts County | 10,255 | ▼ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Big Stone County MN | 5,054 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Day County | 5,484 | ▲ 4.6% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,534 | ▼ 2.5% | 915 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 4,426 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Richland County ND | 16,731 | ▲ 0.9% | 2 MW | 295 MW | — | — |
| Sargent County ND | 3,711 | ▼ 27.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Traverse County MN | 3,130 | ▼ 13.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Roberts County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Roberts County, South Dakota?
7 utilities have service territory in Roberts County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc, Lake Region Electric Assn, Inc - (SD). The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 10.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Roberts County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Roberts County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Richland County.
Is Roberts County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,420 jobs in 2025 against 3,588 in 2019 (-4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 61 to 74.
Does Roberts County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Roberts County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.