Crawford County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Denison
Crawford County is where a large share of Iowa's next power plants are planned. Crawford County is home to Denison, Schleswig, Manilla and Charter Oak. 252 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Silver Queen Wind Farm, LLC (wind), the 2nd largest pipeline among Iowa's counties. Construction employs 362, up 9.7% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 6,449 jobs in 2025, down 5.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Crawford County
Crawford County is home to Denison, Schleswig, Manilla and Charter Oak.
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 Crawford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,487 | 16,237 | ▼ 1.5% | 46th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,786 | 6,449 | ▼ 5.0% | 73rd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,546 | $55,851 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 330 | 362 | ▲ 9.7% | 33rd of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 252 MW | 248% of today's fleet | 2nd of 6 by size |
Its power plants have 102 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Crawford County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 16,237 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Crawford County
Utilities with service territory in Crawford 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% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| City of Denison - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harrison County Rrl Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Manilla - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nishnabotna Valley R E C | — | — | — | — | — |
| Western Iowa Power 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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 100 MW | 98% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Harvest Wind Project LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 100 MW | 2011 |
| West Receiving | City of Denison - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1998 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Queen Wind Farm | Onshore Wind Turbine | 252 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Silver Queen Wind Farm, LLC |
The Crawford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,449 | $55,851 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 362 | $85,256 | 1.06 |
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 Crawford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Crawford County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Ida County, Woodbury County.
Crawford County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Crawford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 16,237 | ▼ 5.0% | 102 MW | 252 MW | — | — |
| Audubon County | 5,509 | ▼ 0.9% | 485 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 20,303 | ▼ 4.6% | 298 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 14,623 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Ida County | 6,777 | ▼ 4.2% | 502 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Monona County | 8,539 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Sac County | 9,525 | ▼ 1.2% | 211 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 11,689 | ▼ 4.0% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County | 106,649 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,284 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Iowa
Crawford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Crawford County, Iowa?
9 utilities have service territory in Crawford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, North West Rural Electric Coop, City of Denison - (IA), Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Crawford County?
2 operating plants with 102 MW of capacity. The largest is New Harvest Wind Project LLC (100 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Crawford County?
252 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Silver Queen Wind Farm, LLC.
Are there data centers in Crawford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Crawford County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Woodbury County.
Is Crawford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,449 jobs in 2025 against 6,786 in 2019 (-5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 330 to 362.
Does Crawford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Crawford County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.