Appanoose County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Centerville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Appanoose County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 147, up 122.7% since 2019. Appanoose County is home to Centerville, Moravia and Moulton. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Appanoose County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities.
Cities and towns in Appanoose County
Appanoose County is home to Centerville, Moravia and Moulton.
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 Appanoose County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,283 | 12,077 | ▼ 1.7% | 62nd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,457 | 4,522 | ▲ 1.5% | 27th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,043 | $48,340 | ▲ 30.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 66 | 147 | ▲ 122.7% | 2nd of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 4,522 jobs in 2025, up 1.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 12,077 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Appanoose County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Appanoose County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate Power and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 417,153 | 17.90¢ | 29% |
| Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southern Iowa Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CED Centerville Wind | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 8 MW | 2021 |
The Appanoose County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,522 | $48,340 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 147 | $61,458 | 0.61 |
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 Appanoose County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Appanoose County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide.
Appanoose County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Appanoose County, Wapello 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appanoose County | 12,077 | ▲ 1.5% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Davis County | 9,230 | ▼ 3.0% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Lucas County | 8,847 | ▼ 12.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 7,406 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
| Putnam County MO | 4,546 | ▲ 7.4% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
| Schuyler County MO | 4,140 | ▲ 58.1% | 400 MW | — | — | — |
| Wapello County | 35,210 | ▼ 5.3% | 729 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 6,738 | ▲ 7.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Appanoose County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Appanoose County, Iowa?
3 utilities have service territory in Appanoose County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc, Southern Iowa Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Appanoose County?
1 operating plant with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is CED Centerville Wind (8 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Appanoose County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Appanoose County.
Is Appanoose County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,522 jobs in 2025 against 4,457 in 2019 (+1.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 66 to 147.
Does Appanoose County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Appanoose County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.