Tripp County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Winner
Tripp 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. Tripp County is home to Winner. Employers here counted 2,329 jobs in 2025, up 3.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Rosebud Electric Coop Inc is the largest utility serving Tripp County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. 5,708 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Tripp County
Tripp County is home to Winner.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hamill, Ideal.
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 Tripp County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,606 | 5,708 | ▲ 1.8% | 31st of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,252 | 2,329 | ▲ 3.4% | 31st of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,782 | $51,587 | ▲ 48.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 84 | 96 | ▲ 14.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 1.9% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
Who powers Tripp County
Utilities with service territory in Tripp County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosebud Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,856 | 10.63¢ | 27% |
| Winner Municipal Utility | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 Tripp County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Tripp County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,329 | $51,587 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 96 | $50,861 | 0.78 |
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 Tripp County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Tripp County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Cherry County.
Tripp County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Tripp County, Keya Paha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tripp County | 5,708 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Cherry County NE | 5,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Gregory County | 4,037 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Keya Paha County NE | 792 | ▲ 2.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyman County | 3,694 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Mellette County | 2,137 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Todd County | 8,863 | ▼ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Tripp County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tripp County, South Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Tripp County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Rosebud Electric Coop Inc, Winner Municipal Utility, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Rosebud Electric Coop Inc, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Tripp County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tripp County.
Is Tripp County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,329 jobs in 2025 against 2,252 in 2019 (+3.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 84 to 96.
Does Tripp County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Tripp County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.