Yankton County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Yankton
Yankton County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Yankton County, 18% of South Dakota's total. Yankton County is home to Yankton and Utica Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “Six-month data center and crypto moratorium”. 220 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 450, up 1.8% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Yankton County
Yankton County is home to Yankton and Utica Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Jamesville 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 Yankton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,291 | 23,635 | ▲ 1.5% | 9th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,885 | 12,862 | ▼ 0.2% | 45th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,466 | $57,446 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 442 | 450 | ▲ 1.8% | 27th of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 1.9% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 220 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 233 MW of capacity, 94% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 47, at an average $51,212 a year. Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Yankton County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 12,862 jobs in 2025, down 0.2% from 2019. 23,635 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020, 9th of 66 South Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Yankton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +220 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Yankton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy - (SD) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 51,467 | 12.56¢ | 40% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD) | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,160 | 12.41¢ | 26% |
| Bon Homme Yankton El Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clay-Union Electric Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 220 MW | 94% |
| Natural gas | 9 MW | 4% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevailing Wind Park | AES Distributed Energy | Wind | 220 MW | 2020 |
| Yankton | NorthWestern Energy - (SD) | Natural gas | 13 MW | 1963 |
The Yankton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,862 | $57,446 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 450 | $57,362 | 0.66 |
| Electrical contractors | 47 | $51,212 | 0.51 |
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 Yankton County
2 data centers in Yankton County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month data center and crypto moratorium | In force | 2026-07 | |
| Yankton County (temporary data center moratorium, first reading), SD data center moratorium (proposed) | Proposed | 2026-06 |
Yankton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Yankton County, Cedar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yankton County | 23,635 | ▼ 0.2% | 233 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
| Bon Homme County | 7,244 | ▼ 2.9% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Cedar County NE | 8,373 | ▲ 2.3% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 15,031 | ▲ 0.2% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Hutchinson County | 7,413 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Knox County NE | 8,335 | ▲ 0.3% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Turner County | 9,314 | ▲ 17.0% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Yankton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yankton County, South Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Yankton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (SD), Bon Homme Yankton El Assn, Inc, Clay-Union Electric Corp. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Yankton, SD in?
Yankton is in Yankton County, South Dakota. About 15,816 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Yankton County?
2 operating plants with 233 MW of capacity. The largest is Prevailing Wind Park (220 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Yankton County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Yankton County.
Is Yankton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,862 jobs in 2025 against 12,885 in 2019 (-0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 442 to 450.
Does Yankton County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Yankton County, 1 in force.