Ida County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ida Grove and Holstein
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Ida County. Ida County is home to Ida Grove, Holstein and Battle Creek. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers until a condition is met”. Construction employs 140, down 8.5% since 2019. 201 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 502 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Ida County
Ida County is home to Ida Grove, Holstein and Battle Creek.
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 Ida County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,019 | 6,777 | ▼ 3.4% | 92nd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,815 | 3,654 | ▼ 4.2% | 67th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,770 | $61,169 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 153 | 140 | ▼ 8.5% | 65th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.6% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 201 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 3,654 jobs in 2025, down 4.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Ida 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. 6,777 people live here, down 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Ida County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +201 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ida 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% |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,714 | 13.78¢ | 22% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative | — | — | — | — | — |
| Western Iowa Power Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 502 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ida Grove Wind | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 301 MW | 2016 |
| Ida Grove II | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 201 MW | 2019 |
The Ida County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,654 | $61,169 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 140 | $73,104 | 0.72 |
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 Ida County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers until a condition is met | In force | 2026-06 |
Ida County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ida County, Woodbury 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ida County | 6,777 | ▼ 4.2% | 502 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Buena Vista County | 20,449 | ▼ 6.8% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County | 11,369 | ▲ 2.2% | 212 MW | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 16,237 | ▼ 5.0% | 102 MW | 252 MW | — | — |
| Monona County | 8,539 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Sac County | 9,525 | ▼ 1.2% | 211 MW | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County | 106,649 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,284 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Iowa
Ida County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ida County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Ida County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, North West Rural Electric Coop, Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Ida County?
2 operating plants with 502 MW of capacity. The largest is Ida Grove Wind (301 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Ida County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ida County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Crawford County.
Is Ida County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,654 jobs in 2025 against 3,815 in 2019 (-4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 153 to 140.
Does Ida County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Ida County, 1 in force.