Henry County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mount Pleasant, New London and Winfield
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Henry County. Henry County is home to Mount Pleasant, New London, Winfield and Wayland. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Henry County data center moratorium”. Employers here counted 8,140 jobs in 2025, down 13.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Construction employs 263, up 8.7% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Henry County
Henry County is home to Mount Pleasant, New London, Winfield and Wayland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lowell, Mount Union, Swedesburg, Trenton.
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 Henry County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,450 | 19,349 | ▼ 5.4% | 34th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,382 | 8,140 | ▼ 13.2% | 96th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,325 | $54,439 | ▲ 28.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 242 | 263 | ▲ 8.7% | 36th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 34 MW of capacity, 96% of it petroleum. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Henry 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. 19,349 people live here, down 5.4% since 2020.
Who powers Henry County
Utilities with service territory in Henry 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% |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,749 | 13.56¢ | 14% |
| Access Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,850 | 14.95¢ | 6% |
| City of Danville - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Mt Pleasant - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| New London Municipal Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 32 MW | 96% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt Pleasant | City of Mt Pleasant - (IA) | Petroleum | 24 MW | 2002 |
| NLMU Diesel | New London Municipal Utilities - (IA) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2000 |
| NLMU Wind | New London Municipal Utilities - (IA) | Wind | 2 MW | 2011 |
The Henry County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,140 | $54,439 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 263 | $54,701 | 0.61 |
| Data processing and hosting | 5 | $52,031 | 0.20 |
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 Henry County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Henry County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Henry County, Louisa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County | 19,349 | ▼ 13.2% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Des Moines County | 38,077 | ▼ 6.3% | 291 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 15,291 | ▼ 8.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Lee County | 32,306 | ▼ 11.2% | 458 MW | — | — | — |
| Louisa County | 10,416 | ▼ 3.7% | 912 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Buren County | 7,131 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 22,667 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Henry County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Henry County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Henry County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop, Access Energy Coop, City of Danville - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Henry County?
3 operating plants with 34 MW of capacity. The largest is Mt Pleasant (24 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Henry County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Henry County.
Is Henry County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,140 jobs in 2025 against 9,382 in 2019 (-13.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 242 to 263.
Does Henry County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Henry County, 1 in force.