Decatur County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lamoni and Leon
No data center or power plant project is on record in Decatur County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Decatur County is home to Lamoni and Leon. Employers here counted 2,312 jobs in 2025, down 5.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 10 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Decatur County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities.
Cities and towns in Decatur County
Decatur County is home to Lamoni and Leon.
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 Decatur County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,728 | 7,655 | ▼ 0.9% | 86th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,435 | 2,312 | ▼ 5.1% | 75th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,690 | $43,151 | ▲ 28.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
7,655 people live here, down 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Decatur County
Utilities with service territory in Decatur 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% |
| Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lamoni - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southwest Iowa Rural Elec 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamoni Municipal Utilities | City of Lamoni - (IA) | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1940 |
The Decatur County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,312 | $43,151 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 72 | $46,496 | 0.59 |
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 Decatur County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Decatur County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Clarke County.
Decatur County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Decatur County, Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County | 7,655 | ▼ 5.1% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Clarke County | 9,574 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Harrison County MO | 8,281 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Lucas County | 8,847 | ▼ 12.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Mercer County MO | 3,404 | ▼ 53.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Ringgold County | 4,642 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County | 11,829 | ▼ 3.3% | 424 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 6,738 | ▲ 7.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Decatur County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Decatur County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Decatur County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA), Grundy Electric Coop, Inc, City of Lamoni - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Decatur County?
1 operating plant with 10 MW of capacity. The largest is Lamoni Municipal Utilities (10 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Decatur County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Decatur County.
Is Decatur County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,312 jobs in 2025 against 2,435 in 2019 (-5.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Decatur County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Decatur County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.