Cerro Gordo County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mason City, Clear Lake and Rockwell
Cerro Gordo County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Cerro Gordo County. Cerro Gordo County is home to Mason City, Clear Lake, Rockwell and Ventura. Construction employs 1,150, up 4.0% since 2019. Its power plants have 787 MW of capacity, 77% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Iowa. 52 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Cerro Gordo County
Cerro Gordo County is home to Mason City, Clear Lake, Rockwell and Ventura.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burchinal, Portland.
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 Cerro Gordo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 43,018 | 42,372 | ▼ 1.5% | 13th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,752 | 23,463 | ▼ 5.2% | 76th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,084 | $56,649 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,106 | 1,150 | ▲ 4.0% | 45th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 52 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 23,463 jobs in 2025, down 5.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Cerro Gordo 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. 42,372 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Cerro Gordo County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +52 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cerro Gordo 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% |
| Heartland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,351 | 12.67¢ | 12% |
| Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,898 | 15.43¢ | 0% |
| Prairie Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,440 | 14.34¢ | 0% |
| Franklin Rural Electric Coop - (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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 603 MW | 77% |
| Wind | 92 MW | 12% |
| Petroleum | 90 MW | 11% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emery Station | Interstate Power and Light Co | Natural gas | 603 MW | 2004 |
| Lime Creek | Interstate Power and Light Co | Petroleum | 90 MW | 1991 |
| Cerro Gordo Wind Farm | Cerro Gordo Wind Farm | Wind | 42 MW | 2020 |
| Hawkeye Power Partners LLC | Hawkeye Power Partners LLC | Wind | 42 MW | 1999 |
| CED Mason City Wind | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 8 MW | 2020 |
| REG Mason City Solar | REG Mason City, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2024 |
The Cerro Gordo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,463 | $56,649 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,150 | $72,327 | 0.93 |
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 Cerro Gordo County
2 data centers in Cerro Gordo County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cerro Gordo County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Cerro Gordo County, Hancock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Butler County | 14,049 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 14,901 | ▼ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County | 10,528 | ▼ 7.7% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Mitchell County | 10,650 | ▼ 17.9% | 526 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Winnebago County | 10,251 | ▼ 9.6% | 332 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County | 7,338 | ▼ 3.3% | 355 MW | — | — | — |
| Wright County | 12,801 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Cerro Gordo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Cerro Gordo County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Heartland Power Coop, Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Mason City, IA in?
Mason City is in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. About 26,853 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cerro Gordo County?
6 operating plants with 787 MW of capacity. The largest is Emery Station (603 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cerro Gordo County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Cerro Gordo County.
Is Cerro Gordo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,463 jobs in 2025 against 24,752 in 2019 (-5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,106 to 1,150.
Does Cerro Gordo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cerro Gordo County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.