Dickinson County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Spirit Lake, Milford and Arnolds Park
Dickinson County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Dickinson County is home to Spirit Lake, Milford, Arnolds Park and Lake Park. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through November 12, 2026”. Construction employs 572, up 4.2% since 2019. Its power plants have 164 MW of capacity, 94% of it wind. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Dickinson 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.
Cities and towns in Dickinson County
Dickinson County is home to Spirit Lake, Milford, Arnolds Park and Lake Park.
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 Dickinson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,775 | 18,077 | ▲ 1.7% | 39th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,740 | 9,794 | ▲ 0.6% | 35th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,477 | $47,954 | ▲ 24.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 549 | 572 | ▲ 4.2% | 44th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 9,794 jobs in 2025, up 0.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 18,077 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Dickinson County
Utilities with service territory in Dickinson 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% |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,714 | 13.78¢ | 22% |
| Federated Rural Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 53 | 11.82¢ | 0% |
| City of Lake Park - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Milford - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Osceola Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 154 MW | 94% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Lakes Wind Farm LLC | Lost Lakes Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 100 MW | 2009 |
| Flying Cloud Power Partners LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 44 MW | 2003 |
| Iowa Lakes Superior Wind Farm | Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Wind | 10 MW | 2009 |
| Milford | City of Milford - (IA) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1949 |
| Lake Park | City of Lake Park - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2005 |
The Dickinson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,794 | $47,954 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 572 | $62,758 | 1.10 |
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 Dickinson County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through November 12, 2026 | In force | 2026-05 |
Dickinson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dickinson County, O'Brien 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dickinson County | 18,077 | ▲ 0.6% | 164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Emmet County | 9,107 | ▼ 12.1% | 17 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County MN | 9,857 | ▼ 5.6% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Osceola County | 5,980 | ▲ 9.7% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Palo Alto County | 8,899 | ▼ 3.7% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Dickinson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dickinson County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Dickinson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, Federated Rural Electric Assn, City of Lake Park - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Dickinson County?
5 operating plants with 164 MW of capacity. The largest is Lost Lakes Wind Farm LLC (100 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Dickinson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dickinson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Dickinson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,794 jobs in 2025 against 9,740 in 2019 (+0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 549 to 572.
Does Dickinson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Dickinson County, 1 in force.