Clayton County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Guttenberg, Monona and Elkader
Clayton County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Clayton County is home to Guttenberg, Monona, Elkader and Strawberry Point. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Clayton County data center moratorium”. Construction employs 476, down 25.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 22, up 29.4% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $42,395 a year. Employers here counted 6,171 jobs in 2025, down 8.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Clayton County
Clayton County is home to Guttenberg, Monona, Elkader and Strawberry Point.
- Edgewood also extends into Delaware County.
- Postville also extends into Allamakee 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 Clayton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,027 | 16,845 | ▼ 1.1% | 42nd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,746 | 6,171 | ▼ 8.5% | 87th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,665 | $53,315 | ▲ 31.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 641 | 476 | ▼ 25.7% | 76th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17 | 22 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
0 MW has retired here since 2019, including McGregor (petroleum, 0 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 80% of it petroleum. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Clayton County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 16,845 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Clayton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clayton 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% |
| Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,051 | 13.76¢ | 48% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| Allamakee-Clayton El Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Guttenberg | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of McGregor- (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Strawberry Point | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 80% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 20% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Strawberry | City of Strawberry Point -(IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2002 |
| McGregor | City of McGregor- (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1941 |
| Strawberry Point DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGregor | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2019 |
The Clayton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,171 | $53,315 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 476 | $84,366 | 1.46 |
| Electrical contractors | 22 | $42,395 | 0.49 |
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 Clayton County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton County data center moratorium | In force | 2025-02 |
Clayton County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Clayton County, Grant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton County | 16,845 | ▼ 8.5% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Allamakee County | 14,238 | ▼ 5.0% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Buchanan County | 20,883 | ▲ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Crawford County WI | 15,910 | ▼ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Delaware County | 17,674 | ▲ 3.9% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Dubuque County | 99,381 | ▼ 2.0% | 27 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Fayette County | 19,047 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County WI | 52,446 | ▼ 4.2% | 453 MW | 67 MW | — | 1 |
| Winneshiek County | 19,733 | ▲ 1.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Clayton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clayton County, Iowa?
7 utilities have service territory in Clayton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop, East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop, Allamakee-Clayton El Coop, Inc. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clayton County?
3 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is South Strawberry (4 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Clayton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clayton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Buchanan County.
Is Clayton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,171 jobs in 2025 against 6,746 in 2019 (-8.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 641 to 476.
Does Clayton County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Clayton County, 1 in force.