Butler County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Parkersburg, Shell Rock and Clarksville
Butler County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Butler County is home to Parkersburg, Shell Rock, Clarksville and Aplington. Next door, Black Hawk County has 3 data centers. Employers here counted 3,676 jobs in 2025, up 7.1% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). Construction employs 136, up 3.8% since 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Butler County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities.
Cities and towns in Butler County
Butler County is home to Parkersburg, Shell Rock, Clarksville and Aplington.
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 Butler County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,337 | 14,049 | ▼ 2.0% | 57th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,431 | 3,676 | ▲ 7.1% | 9th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,474 | $53,901 | ▲ 43.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 131 | 136 | ▲ 3.8% | 46th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 14,049 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Butler County
Utilities with service territory in Butler 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% |
| Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,898 | 15.43¢ | 0% |
| City of Aplington | — | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin Rural Electric Coop - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy County Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Butler County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Butler County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,676 | $53,901 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 136 | $61,171 | 0.70 |
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 Butler County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Butler County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide.
Butler County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Butler County, Cerro Gordo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 14,049 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Black Hawk County | 131,532 | ▼ 4.0% | 394 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Bremer County | 25,296 | ▼ 4.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Chickasaw County | 11,663 | ▲ 5.3% | 229 MW | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 14,901 | ▼ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Grundy County | 12,361 | ▲ 0.1% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 16,455 | ▼ 4.5% | 153 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Iowa
Butler County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Butler County, Iowa?
7 utilities have service territory in Butler County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Cedar Falls Utilities, Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Butler County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Butler County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Black Hawk County.
Is Butler County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,676 jobs in 2025 against 3,431 in 2019 (+7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 131 to 136.
Does Butler County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Butler County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.