Iowa County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Williamsburg, Marengo and North English
Iowa County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Iowa County is home to Williamsburg, Marengo, North English and most of Victor (771 of its 855 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month data center moratorium (Resolution 2026-07-31)”. Employers here counted 8,382 jobs in 2025, down 18.2% from 2019. Construction employs 422, up 17.2% since 2019. 252 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Iowa County
Iowa County is home to Williamsburg, Marengo, North English and most of Victor (771 of its 855 residents).
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Amana, Conroy, East Amana, High Amana, Homestead, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana.
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 Iowa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,665 | 16,504 | ▼ 1.0% | 44th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,244 | 8,382 | ▼ 18.2% | 98th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,328 | $51,403 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 360 | 422 | ▲ 17.2% | 21st of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 252 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 277 MW of capacity, 91% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 26, at an average $46,726 a year. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Iowa 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. 16,504 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Iowa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +252 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Iowa 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% |
| Linn County REC | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,323 | 14.23¢ | 11% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| Amana Society Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 709 | 15.53¢ | 12% |
| Farmers Electric Coop - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| T I P Rural Electric 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 252 MW | 91% |
| Petroleum | 22 MW | 8% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Trail Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 252 MW | 2020 |
| Amana Society Service Company | Amana Society Service Co | Petroleum | 22 MW | 2001 |
| ASSC Digester Power Plant | Amana Society Service Co | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2009 |
The Iowa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,382 | $51,403 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 422 | $71,800 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $46,726 | 0.43 |
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 Iowa County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month data center moratorium (Resolution 2026-07-31) | In force | 2026-07 |
Iowa County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Iowa County, Linn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa County | 16,504 | ▼ 18.2% | 277 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Benton County | 26,004 | ▼ 0.4% | 18 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Johnson County | 160,044 | ▲ 2.5% | 124 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Keokuk County | 9,797 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Linn County | 232,028 | ▼ 4.5% | 742 MW | 100 MW | 7 | 2 |
| Poweshiek County | 18,368 | ▼ 6.0% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
| Tama County | 16,796 | ▼ 3.2% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 22,667 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Iowa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Iowa County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Iowa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Linn County REC, East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop, Amana Society Service Co. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Iowa County?
3 operating plants with 277 MW of capacity. The largest is Diamond Trail Wind Farm (252 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Iowa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Iowa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Linn County.
Is Iowa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,382 jobs in 2025 against 10,244 in 2019 (-18.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 360 to 422.
Does Iowa County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Iowa County, 1 in force.