Hardin County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Iowa Falls, Eldora and Ackley
Hardin County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Hardin County. Hardin County is home to Iowa Falls, Eldora, most of Ackley (1,495 of its 1,530 residents) and Hubbard. Construction employs 497, up 0.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 6,553 jobs in 2025, down 4.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Hardin County
Hardin County is home to Iowa Falls, Eldora, most of Ackley (1,495 of its 1,530 residents) and Hubbard.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Garden City.
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 Hardin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,831 | 16,455 | ▼ 2.2% | 45th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,865 | 6,553 | ▼ 4.5% | 69th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,073 | $56,405 | ▲ 37.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 494 | 497 | ▲ 0.6% | 51st of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 68 | 67 | ▼ 1.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 153 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 67, down 1.5% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $55,312 a year. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Hardin 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. 16,455 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Hardin County
Utilities with service territory in Hardin 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% |
| Franklin Rural Electric Coop - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 153 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Wind LLC | Garden Wind LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2009 |
| Leonardo Wind 1 LLC | Novis Renewables, LLC | Wind | 3 MW | 2016 |
The Hardin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,553 | $56,405 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 497 | $65,587 | 1.43 |
| Electrical contractors | 67 | $55,312 | 1.42 |
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 Hardin County
1 data center in Hardin County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Hardin County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Hardin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County | 16,455 | ▼ 4.5% | 153 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Butler County | 14,049 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Grundy County | 12,361 | ▲ 0.1% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 452 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 39,890 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,190 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Story County | 101,291 | ▲ 1.8% | 431 MW | — | — | — |
| Wright County | 12,801 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Hardin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hardin County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Hardin 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 Hardin County?
2 operating plants with 153 MW of capacity. The largest is Garden Wind LLC (150 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Hardin County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Hardin County.
Is Hardin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,553 jobs in 2025 against 6,865 in 2019 (-4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 494 to 497.
Does Hardin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hardin County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.