Adair County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Greenfield
Adair County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Construction employs 605, up 268.9% since 2019, and construction is 3.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Adair County is home to Greenfield, most of Adair (758 of its 776 residents), part of Stuart (747 of its 1,882 residents) and Fontanelle. Employers here counted 3,350 jobs in 2025, up 16.2% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). Next door, Dallas County has 9 data centers. 489 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Adair County
Adair County is home to Greenfield, most of Adair (758 of its 776 residents), part of Stuart (747 of its 1,882 residents) and Fontanelle.
- Stuart also extends into Guthrie County.
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 Adair County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,498 | 7,403 | ▼ 1.3% | 88th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,882 | 3,350 | ▲ 16.2% | 2nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,435 | $61,722 | ▲ 60.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 164 | 605 | ▲ 268.9% | 1st of 81 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35 | 36 | ▲ 2.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 489 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1,152 MW of capacity, 96% of it wind, the 4th largest fleet in Iowa. Electrical contractors employ 17, at an average $49,993 a year. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Adair County, one of 11 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. 7,403 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Adair County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +489 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Adair County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidAmerican Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 632,436 | 11.01¢ | 18% |
| Interstate Power and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 417,153 | 17.90¢ | 29% |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Fontanelle - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Greenfield - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Guthrie County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Orient - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Stuart - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1,109 MW | 96% |
| Solar | 25 MW | 2% |
| Petroleum | 17 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orient Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 501 MW | 2018 |
| Arbor Hill Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 310 MW | 2018 |
| Adair Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 175 MW | 2008 |
| Morning Light Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 111 MW | 2012 |
| Arbor Hill Solar | MidAmerican Energy Co | Solar | 25 MW | 2022 |
| North Generation Plant | City of Greenfield - (IA) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2002 |
The Adair County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,350 | $61,722 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 605 | $113,299 | 3.41 |
| Electrical contractors | 17 | $49,993 | 0.70 |
| Electric utilities | 36 | $93,987 | 3.97 |
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 Adair County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Adair County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Adams County, Madison County.
Adair County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Adair County, Dallas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 7,403 | ▲ 16.2% | 1,152 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 3,617 | ▼ 10.6% | 205 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Audubon County | 5,509 | ▼ 0.9% | 485 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 12,960 | ▼ 2.1% | 502 MW | — | — | — |
| Dallas County | 118,457 | ▲ 21.3% | 1 MW | — | 9 | — |
| Guthrie County | 10,782 | ▲ 3.2% | 214 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 17,270 | ▲ 9.2% | 137 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Union County | 11,829 | ▼ 3.3% | 424 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Adair County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Adair County, Iowa?
11 utilities have service territory in Adair County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (IA), City of Fontanelle - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Adair County?
16 operating plants with 1,152 MW of capacity. The largest is Orient Wind Farm (501 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Adair County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Adair County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dallas County.
Is Adair County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,350 jobs in 2025 against 2,882 in 2019 (+16.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 164 to 605.
Does Adair County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Adair County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.