Jackson County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Maquoketa and Bellevue
Jackson County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Jackson County is home to Maquoketa, Bellevue and Preston. Electrical contractors employ 38, up 40.7% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $69,873 a year. Next door, Clinton County has 600 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 284, up 10.9% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to Maquoketa, Bellevue and Preston.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,447 | 19,288 | ▼ 0.8% | 35th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,222 | 5,754 | ▼ 7.5% | 84th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,599 | $47,405 | ▲ 33.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 256 | 284 | ▲ 10.9% | 31st of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27 | 38 | ▲ 40.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 5,754 jobs in 2025, down 7.5% from 2019. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Its power plants have 47 MW of capacity, 53% of it petroleum. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Jackson County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 19,288 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Jackson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jackson 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% |
| Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,051 | 13.76¢ | 48% |
| City of Maquoketa - (IA) | Municipal | Bundled | 2,805 | 13.15¢ | 45% |
| City of Preston | Municipal | Bundled | 521 | 15.39¢ | 48% |
| City of Bellevue - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Sabula - (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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 25 MW | 53% |
| Natural gas | 21 MW | 44% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maquoketa 1 | City of Maquoketa - (IA) | Natural gas | 24 MW | 1956 |
| Bellevue | City of Bellevue - (IA) | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1953 |
| Maquoketa 2 | City of Maquoketa - (IA) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2001 |
| Preston (IA) | City of Preston - (IA) | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1980 |
| Iowa Hydro LLC | Zero6 Energy Hydro | Hydro | 1 MW | 1924 |
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,754 | $47,405 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 284 | $61,730 | 0.93 |
| Electrical contractors | 38 | $69,873 | 0.92 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Dubuque County.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Jackson County, Clinton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 19,288 | ▼ 7.5% | 47 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County IL | 15,419 | ▼ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Clinton County | 46,002 | ▼ 6.9% | 181 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
| Dubuque County | 99,381 | ▼ 2.0% | 27 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jo Daviess County IL | 21,594 | ▲ 5.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Jones County | 21,253 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | 2 | — |
More of Iowa
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Iowa?
7 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop, Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop, City of Maquoketa - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jackson County?
5 operating plants with 47 MW of capacity. The largest is Maquoketa 1 (24 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clinton County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,754 jobs in 2025 against 6,222 in 2019 (-7.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 256 to 284.
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.