Cherokee County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cherokee and Marcus
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cherokee County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cherokee County is home to Cherokee, Marcus and Aurelia. Next door, Woodbury County has 2 data centers. 212 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 268, unchanged since 2019. Its power plants have 212 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Cherokee County
Cherokee County is home to Cherokee, Marcus and Aurelia.
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 Cherokee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,648 | 11,369 | ▼ 2.4% | 66th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,803 | 4,908 | ▲ 2.2% | 22nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,990 | $51,356 | ▲ 25.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 268 | 268 | ● 0.0% | 55th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 212 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 4,908 jobs in 2025, up 2.2% from 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Cherokee 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. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. 11,369 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Cherokee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +212 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cherokee 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% |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,714 | 13.78¢ | 22% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| City of Aurelia - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 212 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glaciers Edge Wind Project | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 212 MW | 2019 |
The Cherokee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,908 | $51,356 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 268 | $64,531 | 1.03 |
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 Cherokee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cherokee County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Ida County, Plymouth County, Sioux County, Woodbury County.
Cherokee County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Cherokee County, Woodbury 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee County | 11,369 | ▲ 2.2% | 212 MW | — | — | — |
| Buena Vista County | 20,449 | ▼ 6.8% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Ida County | 6,777 | ▼ 4.2% | 502 MW | — | — | 1 |
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Plymouth County | 25,697 | ▲ 0.1% | 203 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sac County | 9,525 | ▼ 1.2% | 211 MW | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 36,774 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Woodbury County | 106,649 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,284 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Iowa
Cherokee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cherokee County, Iowa?
7 utilities have service territory in Cherokee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, North West Rural Electric Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cherokee County?
1 operating plant with 212 MW of capacity. The largest is Glaciers Edge Wind Project (212 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Cherokee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cherokee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Woodbury County.
Is Cherokee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,908 jobs in 2025 against 4,803 in 2019 (+2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 268 to 268.
Does Cherokee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cherokee County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.