Fayette County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oelwein, West Union and Fayette
Fayette 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. Fayette County is home to Oelwein, West Union, Fayette and Elgin. Construction employs 390, up 20.0% since 2019. Next door, Black Hawk County has 3 data centers. Employers here counted 6,976 jobs in 2025, down 1.8% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Fayette 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 Fayette County
Fayette County is home to Oelwein, West Union, Fayette and Elgin.
- Fairbank also extends into Buchanan 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 Fayette County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,448 | 19,047 | ▼ 2.1% | 36th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,101 | 6,976 | ▼ 1.8% | 49th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,886 | $50,294 | ▲ 36.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 325 | 390 | ▲ 20.0% | 19th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 19 | ▼ 32.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.5% | ● 0.0pts | — |
19,047 people live here, down 2.1% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 19, down 32.1% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $83,119 a year.
Who powers Fayette County
Utilities with service territory in Fayette 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% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| MiEnergy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,006 | 16.91¢ | 34% |
| Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,898 | 15.43¢ | 0% |
| Allamakee-Clayton El Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Fairbank - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Fayette County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Fayette County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,976 | $50,294 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 390 | $71,398 | 1.06 |
| Electrical contractors | 19 | $83,119 | 0.38 |
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 Fayette County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fayette County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Buchanan County, Clayton County.
Fayette County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Fayette County, Black Hawk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 19,047 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Allamakee County | 14,238 | ▼ 5.0% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Black Hawk County | 131,532 | ▼ 4.0% | 394 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Bremer County | 25,296 | ▼ 4.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| Buchanan County | 20,883 | ▲ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Chickasaw County | 11,663 | ▲ 5.3% | 229 MW | — | — | — |
| Clayton County | 16,845 | ▼ 8.5% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Delaware County | 17,674 | ▲ 3.9% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Winneshiek County | 19,733 | ▲ 1.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Fayette County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fayette County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Fayette County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop, MiEnergy Cooperative, Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Fayette County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fayette County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Black Hawk County.
Is Fayette County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,976 jobs in 2025 against 7,101 in 2019 (-1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 325 to 390.
Does Fayette County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fayette County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.