Benton County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Vinton, Belle Plaine and Atkins
The data center boom is not abstract in Benton County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Benton County. Benton County is home to Vinton, Belle Plaine, Atkins and Urbana. Electrical contractors employ 23, up 27.8% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $43,137 a year. Construction employs 380, down 11.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 18 MW of capacity, 92% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Benton County
Benton County is home to Vinton, Belle Plaine, Atkins and Urbana.
- Walford also extends into Linn County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Watkins.
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 Benton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,552 | 26,004 | ▲ 1.8% | 24th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,067 | 6,040 | ▼ 0.4% | 42nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,783 | $52,040 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 430 | 380 | ▼ 11.6% | 72nd of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18 | 23 | ▲ 27.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Benton County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Employers here counted 6,040 jobs in 2025, down 0.4% from 2019. 26,004 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Benton County
Utilities with service territory in Benton 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% |
| Linn County REC | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,323 | 14.23¢ | 11% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| T I P Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Traer - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Vinton - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 16 MW | 92% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton | City of Vinton - (IA) | Natural gas | 18 MW | 1946 |
The Benton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,040 | $52,040 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 380 | $71,829 | 1.19 |
| Electrical contractors | 23 | $43,137 | 0.53 |
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 Benton County
1 data center in Benton County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Benton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Benton County, Linn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 26,004 | ▼ 0.4% | 18 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Black Hawk County | 131,532 | ▼ 4.0% | 394 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Buchanan County | 20,883 | ▲ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Iowa County | 16,504 | ▼ 18.2% | 277 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnson County | 160,044 | ▲ 2.5% | 124 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Linn County | 232,028 | ▼ 4.5% | 742 MW | 100 MW | 7 | 2 |
| Poweshiek County | 18,368 | ▼ 6.0% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
| Tama County | 16,796 | ▼ 3.2% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Benton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Benton County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Benton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Linn County REC, East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop, T I P Rural Electric Coop. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Benton County?
1 operating plant with 18 MW of capacity. The largest is Vinton (18 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Benton County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Benton County.
Is Benton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,040 jobs in 2025 against 6,067 in 2019 (-0.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 430 to 380.
Does Benton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Benton County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.