Franklin County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hampton and Sheffield
Franklin 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. Franklin County is home to Hampton and Sheffield. Construction employs 263, up 25.8% since 2019. Next door, Cerro Gordo County has 2 data centers. 210 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to Hampton and Sheffield.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bradford, Chapin.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,991 | 9,868 | ▼ 1.2% | 73rd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,865 | 3,877 | ▲ 0.3% | 38th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,643 | $54,846 | ▲ 28.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 209 | 263 | ▲ 25.8% | 13th of 81 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 42 | 46 | ▲ 9.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 210 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 509 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Franklin County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Employers here counted 3,877 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019. 9,868 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Franklin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +210 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Franklin County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidAmerican Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 632,436 | 11.01¢ | 18% |
| Interstate Power and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 417,153 | 17.90¢ | 29% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,898 | 15.43¢ | 0% |
| Prairie Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,440 | 14.34¢ | 0% |
| Franklin Rural Electric Coop - (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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 500 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 7 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whispering Willow North | Interstate Power and Light Co | Wind | 201 MW | 2020 |
| Whispering Willow Wind Farm - East | Interstate Power and Light Co | Wind | 200 MW | 2009 |
| Franklin County Wind Farm | Interstate Power and Light Co | Wind | 99 MW | 2012 |
| Franklin County Solar | MidAmerican Energy Co | Solar | 7 MW | 2022 |
| Hampton Substation Energy Storage | Corn Belt Power Coop | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2022 |
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,877 | $54,846 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 263 | $83,787 | 1.28 |
| Electric utilities | 46 | $117,817 | 4.38 |
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 Franklin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Franklin County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hancock County.
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Franklin County, Cerro Gordo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 14,049 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Floyd County | 14,901 | ▼ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | — |
| Grundy County | 12,361 | ▲ 0.1% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 452 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County | 10,528 | ▼ 7.7% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Hardin County | 16,455 | ▼ 4.5% | 153 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wright County | 12,801 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, Butler County Rural Elec Coop - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Franklin County?
5 operating plants with 509 MW of capacity. The largest is Whispering Willow North (201 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Franklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cerro Gordo County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,877 jobs in 2025 against 3,865 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 209 to 263.
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Franklin County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.