Dallas County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waukee, West Des Moines and Urbandale
The data center boom is not abstract in Dallas County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 9 data centers in Dallas County, 11% of Iowa's total. Dallas County is home to Waukee, part of West Des Moines (25,382 of its 74,224 residents), part of Urbandale (12,938 of its 48,570 residents) and part of Clive (8,657 of its 19,861 residents). 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Apple Waukee Data Center (extension). Employers here counted 56,432 jobs in 2025, up 21.3% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). Construction employs 1,860, up 22.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Dallas County
Dallas County is home to Waukee, part of West Des Moines (25,382 of its 74,224 residents), part of Urbandale (12,938 of its 48,570 residents) and part of Clive (8,657 of its 19,861 residents).
- West Des Moines also extends into Polk County.
- Urbandale also extends into Polk County.
- Clive also extends into Polk County.
- Granger also extends into Polk County.
- Woodward also extends into Boone 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 Dallas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 100,521 | 118,457 | ▲ 17.8% | 6th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46,511 | 56,432 | ▲ 21.3% | 1st of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,964 | $78,974 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,514 | 1,860 | ▲ 22.9% | 16th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.8% | 3.4% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 1.8% in 2019. 118,457 people live here, up 17.8% since 2020, 6th of 99 Iowa counties by population. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Dallas County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities.
Who powers Dallas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dallas 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% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| Guthrie County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
| Waverly Municipal Elec Utility | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Customer Hosted 1MW Solar Project | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Dallas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 56,432 | $78,974 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,860 | $67,795 | 0.62 |
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 Dallas County
9 data centers in Dallas County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Waukee Data Center (extension) | delayed extension requested | — |
Dallas County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Dallas County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 118,457 | ▲ 21.3% | 1 MW | — | 9 | — |
| Adair County | 7,403 | ▲ 16.2% | 1,152 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 26,799 | ▼ 2.2% | 348 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Greene County | 8,658 | ▼ 6.1% | 74 MW | — | — | — |
| Guthrie County | 10,782 | ▲ 3.2% | 214 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 17,270 | ▲ 9.2% | 137 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Polk County | 516,546 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,066 MW | — | 30 | — |
| Warren County | 57,331 | ▲ 15.7% | 44 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of Iowa
Dallas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dallas County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Dallas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, Guthrie County Rural E C A. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Waukee, IA in?
Waukee is in Dallas County, Iowa. About 34,890 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Is West Des Moines in Dallas County?
Partly. 25,382 of West Des Moines's 74,224 residents (34%) live in Dallas County; most of the city is in Polk County.
Is Urbandale in Dallas County?
Partly. 12,938 of Urbandale's 48,570 residents (27%) live in Dallas County; most of the city is in Polk County.
What power plants are in Dallas County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Perry Customer Hosted 1MW Solar Project (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Dallas County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 9 data centers in Dallas County.
Is Dallas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 56,432 jobs in 2025 against 46,511 in 2019 (+21.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,514 to 1,860.
Does Dallas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dallas County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.