Hancock County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Garner and Britt
Hancock County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Hancock County. Hancock County is home to Garner, Britt and Kanawha. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Six-month data center moratorium (failed for lack of a second)”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including MCNI Concord Township Data Center Rezoning. Construction employs 165, up 24.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Hancock County
Hancock County is home to Garner, Britt and Kanawha.
- Forest City also extends into Winnebago County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Duncan, Hayfield, Hutchins, Miller.
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 Hancock County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,763 | 10,528 | ▼ 2.2% | 69th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,243 | 5,761 | ▼ 7.7% | 85th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,832 | $60,989 | ▲ 33.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 133 | 165 | ▲ 24.1% | 14th of 81 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 55 | 61 | ▲ 10.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 5,761 jobs in 2025, down 7.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 448 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Hancock 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. 10,528 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Hancock County
Utilities with service territory in Hancock 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% |
| Heartland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,351 | 12.67¢ | 12% |
| Prairie Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,440 | 14.34¢ | 0% |
| Boone Valley Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Corwith - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Forest City- (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 448 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPL Energy Crystal Lake Wind II LLC | FPL Energy Crystal Lake Wind II LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2009 |
| FPL Energy Crystal Lake Wind LLC | FPL Energy Crystal Lake Wind LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2008 |
| Hancock County Wind Energy Center | FPL Energy Hancock County Wind, LLC | Wind | 98 MW | 2002 |
The Hancock County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,761 | $60,989 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 165 | $62,088 | 0.54 |
| Electric utilities | 61 | $124,534 | 3.91 |
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 Hancock County
1 data center in Hancock County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month data center moratorium (failed for lack of a second) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCNI Concord Township Data Center Rezoning | delayed | — |
Hancock County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Hancock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 10,528 | ▼ 7.7% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Humboldt County | 9,409 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Kossuth County | 14,322 | ▼ 3.4% | 462 MW | — | — | — |
| Winnebago County | 10,251 | ▼ 9.6% | 332 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County | 7,338 | ▼ 3.3% | 355 MW | — | — | — |
| Wright County | 12,801 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Hancock County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hancock County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Hancock County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Heartland Power Coop, Prairie Energy Coop, Boone Valley Electric Coop. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hancock County?
3 operating plants with 448 MW of capacity. The largest is FPL Energy Crystal Lake Wind II LLC (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Hancock County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Hancock County.
Is Hancock County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,761 jobs in 2025 against 6,243 in 2019 (-7.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 133 to 165.
Does Hancock County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Hancock County, 0 in force.