Grundy County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Grundy Center, Reinbeck and Dike
Grundy 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. Grundy County is home to Grundy Center, Reinbeck, Dike and Conrad. Construction employs 674, up 15.8% since 2019, and construction is 3.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Black Hawk County has 3 data centers. Its power plants have 242 MW of capacity, 96% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Grundy County
Grundy County is home to Grundy Center, Reinbeck, Dike and Conrad.
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 Grundy County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,337 | 12,361 | ▲ 0.2% | 60th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,076 | 4,081 | ▲ 0.1% | 41st of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,931 | $61,619 | ▲ 34.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 582 | 674 | ▲ 15.8% | 22nd of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Grundy 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. Employers here counted 4,081 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019. 12,361 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Grundy County
Utilities with service territory in Grundy 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% |
| Cedar Falls Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 17,772 | 10.42¢ | 68% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| City of Dike | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy Center Mun Light & Power | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy County Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 232 MW | 96% |
| Petroleum | 11 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellsburg Wind Project | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 141 MW | 2014 |
| Ivester Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 91 MW | 2018 |
| Grundy Center City Light Plant | Grundy Center Mun Light & Power | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1963 |
| Dike City Power Plant | City of Dike - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2005 |
The Grundy County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,081 | $61,619 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 674 | $90,968 | 3.12 |
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 Grundy County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grundy County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Marshall County.
Grundy County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Grundy County, Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grundy County | 12,361 | ▲ 0.1% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Black Hawk County | 131,532 | ▼ 4.0% | 394 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Butler County | 14,049 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 16,455 | ▼ 4.5% | 153 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Marshall County | 39,890 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,190 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Tama County | 16,796 | ▼ 3.2% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Grundy County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grundy County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Grundy County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Cedar Falls Utilities, Midland Power Coop, City of Dike. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Grundy County?
4 operating plants with 242 MW of capacity. The largest is Wellsburg Wind Project (141 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Grundy County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grundy County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Black Hawk County.
Is Grundy County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,081 jobs in 2025 against 4,076 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 582 to 674.
Does Grundy County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grundy County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.