Dubuque County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dubuque, Asbury and Dyersville
Dubuque County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Dubuque County. Dubuque County is home to Dubuque, Asbury, most of Dyersville (4,260 of its 4,574 residents) and Peosta. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month data center moratorium”. Construction employs 2,696, up 5.5% since 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum.
Cities and towns in Dubuque County
Dubuque County is home to Dubuque, Asbury, most of Dyersville (4,260 of its 4,574 residents) and Peosta.
- Dyersville also extends into Delaware County.
- Cascade also extends into Jones 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 Dubuque County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 99,311 | 99,381 | ▲ 0.1% | 9th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 58,912 | 57,730 | ▼ 2.0% | 50th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,294 | $60,537 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,555 | 2,696 | ▲ 5.5% | 42nd of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 27 MW of capacity, 86% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 57,730 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Dubuque County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 99,381 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020, 9th of 99 Iowa counties by population.
Who powers Dubuque County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dubuque 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% |
| Allamakee-Clayton El Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cascade 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 23 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Deere Dubuque Works | John Deere Dubuque Works | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1994 |
| Cascade | Cascade Municipal Utilities - (IA) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1951 |
| West Dubuque Solar | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 4 MW | 2017 |
| Alliant SBD 9205 A Y McDonald | Industrial Energy Applications Inc | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1990 |
| Alliant SBD 9301 Prairie Farms | Industrial Energy Applications Inc | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1993 |
The Dubuque County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 57,730 | $60,537 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,696 | $78,608 | 0.88 |
| Data processing and hosting | 31 | $166,659 | 0.17 |
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 Dubuque County
1 data center in Dubuque County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Dubuque County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dubuque County, Grant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque County | 99,381 | ▼ 2.0% | 27 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Clayton County | 16,845 | ▼ 8.5% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Delaware County | 17,674 | ▲ 3.9% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County WI | 52,446 | ▼ 4.2% | 453 MW | 67 MW | — | 1 |
| Jackson County | 19,288 | ▼ 7.5% | 47 MW | — | — | — |
| Jo Daviess County IL | 21,594 | ▲ 5.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Jones County | 21,253 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | 2 | — |
More of Iowa
Dubuque County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dubuque County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Dubuque County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop, Allamakee-Clayton El Coop, Inc, Cascade Municipal Utilities. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dubuque, IA in?
Dubuque is in Dubuque County, Iowa. About 59,148 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dubuque County?
5 operating plants with 27 MW of capacity. The largest is John Deere Dubuque Works (9 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Dubuque County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Dubuque County.
Is Dubuque County adding jobs?
Employers counted 57,730 jobs in 2025 against 58,912 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,555 to 2,696.
Does Dubuque County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Dubuque County, 1 in force.