Des Moines County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Burlington, West Burlington and Mediapolis
Des Moines County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Des Moines County is home to Burlington, West Burlington, Mediapolis and Danville. Electrical contractors employ 64, up 36.2% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $55,669 a year. Next door, Mercer County, Illinois, has 1 data center. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Owners plan to retire 79 MW more by 2035, led by Burlington (IA) in 2030.
Cities and towns in Des Moines County
Des Moines County is home to Burlington, West Burlington, Mediapolis and Danville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Augusta, Beaverdale, Kingston, Oak Hills, Sperry, Yarmouth.
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 Des Moines County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 38,849 | 38,077 | ▼ 2.0% | 17th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,433 | 20,080 | ▼ 6.3% | 80th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,546 | $54,600 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 885 | 902 | ▲ 1.9% | 50th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 47 | 64 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 5.2% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 902, up 1.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 20,080 jobs in 2025, down 6.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 291 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Des Moines 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. 38,077 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Des Moines County
Utilities with service territory in Des Moines 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% |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,749 | 13.56¢ | 14% |
| Access Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,850 | 14.95¢ | 6% |
| City of Danville - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| New London Municipal Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 291 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington (IA) | Interstate Power and Light Co | Natural gas | 291 MW | 1968 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington (IA) | Natural gas | 79 MW | 2030 |
The Des Moines County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,080 | $54,600 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 902 | $68,022 | 0.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 64 | $55,669 | 0.44 |
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 Des Moines County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Des Moines County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Henry County.
Des Moines County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Des Moines County, Louisa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines County | 38,077 | ▼ 6.3% | 291 MW | — | — | — |
| Henderson County IL | 5,984 | ▲ 8.8% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 19,349 | ▼ 13.2% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lee County | 32,306 | ▼ 11.2% | 458 MW | — | — | — |
| Louisa County | 10,416 | ▼ 3.7% | 912 MW | — | — | — |
| Mercer County IL | 15,229 | ▲ 1.0% | 10 MW | 42 MW | 1 | — |
More of Iowa
Des Moines County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Des Moines County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Des Moines County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop, Access Energy Coop, City of Danville - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Burlington, IA in?
Burlington is in Des Moines County, Iowa. About 23,336 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Des Moines County?
1 operating plant with 291 MW of capacity. The largest is Burlington (IA) (291 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Des Moines County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Des Moines County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mercer County.
Is Des Moines County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,080 jobs in 2025 against 21,433 in 2019 (-6.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 885 to 902.
Does Des Moines County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Des Moines County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.