Emmet County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Estherville
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Emmet County. Emmet County is home to Estherville and Armstrong. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Employers here counted 3,306 jobs in 2025, down 12.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Construction employs 170, down 0.6% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Emmet County
Emmet County is home to Estherville and Armstrong.
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 Emmet County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,341 | 9,107 | ▼ 2.5% | 81st of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,762 | 3,306 | ▼ 12.1% | 93rd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,815 | $49,851 | ▲ 28.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 171 | 170 | ▼ 0.6% | 56th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 17 MW of capacity, 81% of it natural gas. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Emmet 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. 9,107 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Emmet County
Utilities with service territory in Emmet 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 Estherville - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 14 MW | 81% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 10% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estherville | City of Estherville - (IA) | Natural gas | 16 MW | 1946 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Wind Farm | Iowa Lakes Community College | Wind | 2 MW | 2005 |
The Emmet County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,306 | $49,851 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 170 | $55,841 | 0.97 |
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 Emmet County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-08 |
Emmet County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Emmet County, Martin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmet County | 9,107 | ▼ 12.1% | 17 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,077 | ▲ 0.6% | 164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County MN | 9,857 | ▼ 5.6% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Kossuth County | 14,322 | ▼ 3.4% | 462 MW | — | — | — |
| Martin County MN | 19,440 | ▼ 1.2% | 845 MW | — | — | — |
| Palo Alto County | 8,899 | ▼ 3.7% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Emmet County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Emmet County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Emmet County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, Federated Rural Electric Assn, City of Estherville - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Emmet County?
2 operating plants with 17 MW of capacity. The largest is Estherville (16 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Emmet County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Emmet County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Emmet County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,306 jobs in 2025 against 3,762 in 2019 (-12.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 171 to 170.
Does Emmet County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Emmet County, 1 in force.