Hamilton County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Webster City and Jewell Junction
No data center or power plant project is on record in Hamilton County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Hamilton County is home to Webster City, Jewell Junction and most of Stratford (674 of its 698 residents). Next door, Boone County has 1 data center. Construction employs 287, up 11.2% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 47, up 14.6% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $66,814 a year. 229 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Hamilton County
Hamilton County is home to Webster City, Jewell Junction and most of Stratford (674 of its 698 residents).
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 Hamilton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,014 | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 49th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,732 | 5,703 | ▼ 0.5% | 44th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,963 | $53,887 | ▲ 28.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 258 | 287 | ▲ 11.2% | 29th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41 | 47 | ▲ 14.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 229 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 452 MW of capacity, 94% of it wind. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Hamilton County, one of 11 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 5,703 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. 14,944 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Hamilton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +229 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hamilton 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% |
| Prairie Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,440 | 14.34¢ | 0% |
| Cass Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Ellsworth - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Story City - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Stratford - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 426 MW | 94% |
| Petroleum | 21 MW | 5% |
| Natural gas | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Pathfinder Wind | Great Pathfinder Wind | Wind | 224 MW | 2023 |
| Century | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 201 MW | 2005 |
| Webster City | City of Webster City - (IA) | Petroleum | 21 MW | 1972 |
| POET Biorefining - Jewell | POET Biorefining - Jewell | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2019 |
The Hamilton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,703 | $53,887 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 287 | $54,233 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 47 | $66,814 | 1.14 |
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 Hamilton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hamilton County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Boone County.
Hamilton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Hamilton County, Boone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 452 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 26,799 | ▼ 2.2% | 348 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 16,455 | ▼ 4.5% | 153 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Story County | 101,291 | ▲ 1.8% | 431 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 36,838 | ▼ 4.9% | 380 MW | — | — | — |
| Wright County | 12,801 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Hamilton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hamilton County, Iowa?
11 utilities have service territory in Hamilton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, Prairie Energy Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hamilton County?
4 operating plants with 452 MW of capacity. The largest is Great Pathfinder Wind (224 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Hamilton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hamilton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Boone County.
Is Hamilton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,703 jobs in 2025 against 5,732 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 258 to 287.
Does Hamilton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hamilton County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.