Delaware County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Manchester
No data center or power plant project is on record in Delaware County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Delaware County is home to Manchester, Earlville, most of Edgewood (620 of its 906 residents) and Hopkinton. Next door, Linn County has 7 data centers. 63 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 348, up 0.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 6,886 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Delaware County
Delaware County is home to Manchester, Earlville, most of Edgewood (620 of its 906 residents) and Hopkinton.
- Edgewood also extends into Clayton County.
- Dyersville also extends into Dubuque 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 Delaware County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,456 | 17,674 | ▲ 1.2% | 40th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,630 | 6,886 | ▲ 3.9% | 18th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,440 | $55,057 | ▲ 26.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 346 | 348 | ▲ 0.6% | 52nd of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.6% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 63 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 110 MW of capacity, 95% of it wind. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Delaware County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. 17,674 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Delaware County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +63 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Delaware 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 Earlville - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Hopkinton - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 104 MW | 95% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Wind Farm | Independence Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 55 MW | 2021 |
| Elk Wind Farm | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Wind | 41 MW | 2011 |
| CED Manchester Wind | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 8 MW | 2022 |
| Hopkinton | City of Hopkinton - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1973 |
| Earlville | City of Earlville - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2001 |
The Delaware County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,886 | $55,057 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 348 | $63,580 | 0.95 |
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 Delaware County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Delaware County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Buchanan County, Clayton County, Dubuque County, Linn County.
Delaware County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Delaware County, Linn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | 17,674 | ▲ 3.9% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Buchanan County | 20,883 | ▲ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Clayton County | 16,845 | ▼ 8.5% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dubuque County | 99,381 | ▼ 2.0% | 27 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Fayette County | 19,047 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Jones County | 21,253 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Linn County | 232,028 | ▼ 4.5% | 742 MW | 100 MW | 7 | 2 |
More of Iowa
Delaware County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Delaware County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Delaware 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 Delaware County?
5 operating plants with 110 MW of capacity. The largest is Independence Wind Farm (55 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Delaware County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Delaware County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Linn County.
Is Delaware County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,886 jobs in 2025 against 6,630 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 346 to 348.
Does Delaware County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Delaware County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.