Boone County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Boone, Madrid and Ogden
The data center boom is not abstract in Boone County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Boone County. Boone County is home to Boone, Madrid and Ogden. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Moratorium on new data center projects for up to one year”. Construction employs 652, down 1.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Boone County
Boone County is home to Boone, Madrid and Ogden.
- Woodward also extends into Dallas 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 Boone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,705 | 26,799 | ▲ 0.4% | 23rd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,037 | 8,838 | ▼ 2.2% | 52nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,748 | $54,858 | ▲ 31.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 663 | 652 | ▼ 1.7% | 58th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 348 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 8,838 jobs in 2025, down 2.2% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Boone County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 26,799 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Boone County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Boone 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% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| City of Ogden - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Story City - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 343 MW | 99% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek Wind | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 340 MW | 2017 |
| Ogden | City of Ogden - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1951 |
| Michelangelo Wind 4 LLC | Novis Renewables, LLC | Wind | 3 MW | 2016 |
| Fareway Customer Hosted 1 MW Solar | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Boone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,838 | $54,858 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 652 | $72,735 | 1.39 |
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 Boone County
1 data center in Boone County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moratorium on new data center projects for up to one year | In force | 2026-09 |
Boone County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Boone County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 26,799 | ▼ 2.2% | 348 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Dallas County | 118,457 | ▲ 21.3% | 1 MW | — | 9 | — |
| Greene County | 8,658 | ▼ 6.1% | 74 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 452 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 516,546 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,066 MW | — | 30 | — |
| Story County | 101,291 | ▲ 1.8% | 431 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 36,838 | ▼ 4.9% | 380 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Boone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Boone County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Boone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, City of Ogden - (IA), City of Story City - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Boone, IA in?
Boone is in Boone County, Iowa. About 12,471 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Boone County?
4 operating plants with 348 MW of capacity. The largest is Beaver Creek Wind (340 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Boone County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Boone County.
Is Boone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,838 jobs in 2025 against 9,037 in 2019 (-2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 663 to 652.
Does Boone County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Boone County, 1 in force.