Black Hawk County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Evansdale
Black Hawk County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Black Hawk County, 4% of Iowa's total. Black Hawk County is home to Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Hudson. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 2,580, up 0.4% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Black Hawk County
Black Hawk County is home to Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Hudson.
- Jesup also extends into Buchanan County.
- Janesville also extends into Bremer County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Washburn.
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 Black Hawk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 131,037 | 131,532 | ▲ 0.4% | 5th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73,630 | 70,713 | ▼ 4.0% | 65th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,517 | $59,876 | ▲ 23.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,570 | 2,580 | ▲ 0.4% | 54th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 290 | 296 | ▲ 2.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38 | 69 | ▲ 81.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 394 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 70,713 jobs in 2025, down 4.0% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 296, up 2.1% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $71,585 a year. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Black Hawk County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 131,532 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020, 5th of 99 Iowa counties by population.
Who powers Black Hawk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Black Hawk 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% |
| Cedar Falls Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 17,772 | 10.42¢ | 68% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| Grundy County Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| La Porte City Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 366 MW | 93% |
| Petroleum | 23 MW | 6% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrifarm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Natural gas | 264 MW | 1975 |
| Streeter Station | Cedar Falls Utilities | Natural gas | 52 MW | 1963 |
| Gas Turbine (IA) | Cedar Falls Utilities | Natural gas | 43 MW | 1968 |
| Waterloo Lundquist | MidAmerican Energy Co | Petroleum | 18 MW | 2000 |
| University of Northern Iowa | University of Northern Iowa | Natural gas | 8 MW | 1982 |
| La Porte | La Porte City Utilities | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2000 |
The Black Hawk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 70,713 | $59,876 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,580 | $70,675 | 0.69 |
| Electrical contractors | 296 | $71,585 | 0.58 |
| Data processing and hosting | 69 | $81,769 | 0.31 |
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 Black Hawk County
3 data centers in Black Hawk County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Black Hawk County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Black Hawk County, Benton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk County | 131,532 | ▼ 4.0% | 394 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Benton County | 26,004 | ▼ 0.4% | 18 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Bremer County | 25,296 | ▼ 4.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| Buchanan County | 20,883 | ▲ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Butler County | 14,049 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 19,047 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy County | 12,361 | ▲ 0.1% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Tama County | 16,796 | ▼ 3.2% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Black Hawk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Black Hawk County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Black Hawk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Cedar Falls Utilities, East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Waterloo, IA in?
Waterloo is in Black Hawk County, Iowa. About 66,919 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cedar Falls, IA in?
Cedar Falls is in Black Hawk County, Iowa. About 41,240 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Black Hawk County?
8 operating plants with 394 MW of capacity. The largest is Electrifarm (264 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Black Hawk County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Black Hawk County.
Is Black Hawk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 70,713 jobs in 2025 against 73,630 in 2019 (-4.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,570 to 2,580.
Does Black Hawk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Black Hawk County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.