Keokuk County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sigourney
Keokuk 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. Keokuk County is home to Sigourney, Keota, Hedrick and What Cheer. Employers here counted 2,280 jobs in 2025, up 3.2% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Keokuk County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 9,797 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Keokuk County
Keokuk County is home to Sigourney, Keota, Hedrick and What Cheer.
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 Keokuk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,000 | 9,797 | ▼ 2.0% | 74th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,210 | 2,280 | ▲ 3.2% | 20th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,540 | $49,571 | ▲ 28.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 109 | 92 | ▼ 15.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
Who powers Keokuk County
Utilities with service territory in Keokuk 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% |
| Access Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,850 | 14.95¢ | 6% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Keokuk County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Keokuk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,280 | $49,571 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 92 | $49,235 | 0.76 |
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 Keokuk County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Keokuk County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Iowa County, Jefferson County.
Keokuk County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Keokuk County, Wapello 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keokuk County | 9,797 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Iowa County | 16,504 | ▼ 18.2% | 277 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jefferson County | 15,291 | ▼ 8.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Mahaska County | 21,880 | ▲ 2.0% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Poweshiek County | 18,368 | ▼ 6.0% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
| Wapello County | 35,210 | ▼ 5.3% | 729 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 22,667 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Keokuk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Keokuk County, Iowa?
3 utilities have service territory in Keokuk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Access Energy Coop, T I P Rural Electric Coop. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Keokuk County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Keokuk County.
Is Keokuk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,280 jobs in 2025 against 2,210 in 2019 (+3.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 109 to 92.
Does Keokuk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Keokuk County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.