Johnson County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty
Johnson County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Johnson County, 5% of Iowa's total. Johnson County is home to Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and Tiffin. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium (unincorporated)”. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including University of Iowa Main Power Plant (natural gas, 6 MW, 2020). Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Johnson County
Johnson County is home to Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and Tiffin.
- West Branch also extends into Cedar County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Frytown.
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 Johnson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 153,071 | 160,044 | ▲ 4.6% | 4th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 83,508 | 85,623 | ▲ 2.5% | 21st of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,356 | $66,505 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,749 | 2,720 | ▼ 1.1% | 57th of 81 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 53 | 58 | ▲ 9.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 3.0% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 19 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — |
19 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Construction employs 2,720, down 1.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 124 MW of capacity, 91% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 85,623 jobs in 2025, up 2.5% from 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Johnson County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 160,044 people live here, up 4.6% since 2020, 4th of 99 Iowa counties by population.
Who powers Johnson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +13 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Johnson 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% |
| Linn County REC | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,323 | 14.23¢ | 11% |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,749 | 13.56¢ | 14% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 114 MW | 91% |
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 6% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coralville GT | MidAmerican Energy Co | Natural gas | 72 MW | 1970 |
| University of Iowa Main Power Plant | University of Iowa | Natural gas | 40 MW | 1974 |
| Farmers Electric Cooperative - Kalona | Farmers Electric Coop - (IA) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2001 |
| Johnson County Hills Solar | MidAmerican Energy Co | Solar | 3 MW | 2022 |
| Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant | University of Iowa | Natural gas | 3 MW | 2010 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa Main Power Plant | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2020 |
The Johnson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 85,623 | $66,505 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,720 | $71,158 | 0.60 |
| Data processing and hosting | 58 | $119,268 | 0.22 |
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 Johnson County
4 data centers in Johnson County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium (unincorporated) | In force | 2025-11 |
Johnson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Johnson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 160,044 | ▲ 2.5% | 124 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Benton County | 26,004 | ▼ 0.4% | 18 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Cedar County | 18,359 | ▼ 3.2% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Iowa County | 16,504 | ▼ 18.2% | 277 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Linn County | 232,028 | ▼ 4.5% | 742 MW | 100 MW | 7 | 2 |
| Louisa County | 10,416 | ▼ 3.7% | 912 MW | — | — | — |
| Muscatine County | 41,853 | ▼ 9.0% | 300 MW | 59 MW | 1 | — |
| Washington County | 22,667 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Johnson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Johnson County, Iowa?
7 utilities have service territory in Johnson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Linn County REC, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Iowa City, IA in?
Iowa City is in Johnson County, Iowa. About 76,229 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Coralville, IA in?
Coralville is in Johnson County, Iowa. About 23,960 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is North Liberty, IA in?
North Liberty is in Johnson County, Iowa. About 21,976 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Johnson County?
5 operating plants with 124 MW of capacity. The largest is Coralville GT (72 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Johnson County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Johnson County.
Is Johnson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 85,623 jobs in 2025 against 83,508 in 2019 (+2.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,749 to 2,720.
Does Johnson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Johnson County, 1 in force.