Linn County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cedar Rapids, Marion and Hiawatha
The data center boom is not abstract in Linn County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Linn County, 8% of Iowa's total. Linn County is home to Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha and Mount Vernon. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “18-month rezoning moratorium (EU-3 data center district)”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Linn County Unincorporated Area Data Center Moratorium. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Clenera DevCo LLC (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among Iowa's counties. 100 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Linn County
Linn County is home to Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha and Mount Vernon.
- Walford also extends into Benton County.
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 Linn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 230,405 | 232,028 | ▲ 0.7% | 2nd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 131,354 | 125,508 | ▼ 4.5% | 68th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,485 | $70,464 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,018 | 8,016 | ▲ 14.2% | 25th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,262 | 1,429 | ▲ 13.2% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 462 | 340 | ▼ 26.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 698 | 543 | ▼ 22.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 210 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 703 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 13% of today's fleet | 3rd of 6 by size |
703 MW has retired here since 2019, including Duane Arnold Energy Center (nuclear, 680 MW, 2020). Construction employs 8,016, up 14.2% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 210 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 1,429, up 13.2% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $81,605 a year. Its power plants have 742 MW of capacity, 41% of it coal, the 9th largest fleet in Iowa. Employers here counted 125,508 jobs in 2025, down 4.5% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Linn 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. 232,028 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020, 2nd of 99 Iowa counties by population.
Who powers Linn County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −494 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Linn 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% |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,749 | 13.56¢ | 14% |
| Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,051 | 13.76¢ | 48% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| City of Coggon - (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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 306 MW | 41% |
| Solar | 204 MW | 28% |
| Natural gas | 187 MW | 25% |
| Petroleum | 39 MW | 5% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archer Daniels Midland Cedar Rapids | Archer Daniels Midland Co | Coal | 295 MW | 1988 |
| Prairie Creek | Interstate Power and Light Co | Coal | 199 MW | 1958 |
| Pleasant Creek Unit 2 | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 150 MW | 2024 |
| Pleasant Creek Unit 1 | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 50 MW | 2024 |
| Alliant SBD 9106 Rockwell CR | Industrial Energy Applications Inc | Petroleum | 16 MW | 1992 |
| Alliant SBD0201 Ingredion | Industrial Energy Applications Inc | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2003 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coggon Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Clenera DevCo LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duane Arnold Energy Center | Nuclear | 680 MW | 2020 |
| Prairie Creek | Coal | 15 MW | 2025 |
| Alliant SBD 8501 Aegon LI | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Kirkwood Wind Turbine | Wind | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Linn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 125,508 | $70,464 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,016 | $80,889 | 1.21 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,429 | $81,605 | 1.58 |
| Power and communication line construction | 340 | $100,717 | 1.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 543 | $133,203 | 1.39 |
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 Linn County
7 data centers in Linn County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-month rezoning moratorium (EU-3 data center district) | In force | 2026-07 | |
| Linn County Board of Supervisors (18-month pause on EU-3 large-scale data center rezoning applications) data center moratorium | In force | 2026-07 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County Unincorporated Area Data Center Moratorium | moratorium in force | — |
Linn County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Linn County, Johnson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County | 232,028 | ▼ 4.5% | 742 MW | 100 MW | 7 | 2 |
| Benton County | 26,004 | ▼ 0.4% | 18 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Buchanan County | 20,883 | ▲ 1.1% | 2 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Cedar County | 18,359 | ▼ 3.2% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Delaware County | 17,674 | ▲ 3.9% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Iowa County | 16,504 | ▼ 18.2% | 277 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnson County | 160,044 | ▲ 2.5% | 124 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Jones County | 21,253 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | 2 | — |
More of Iowa
Linn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Linn County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Linn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Linn County REC, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop, Maquoketa Valley Rrl Elec Coop. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cedar Rapids, IA in?
Cedar Rapids is in Linn County, Iowa. About 137,935 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Marion, IA in?
Marion is in Linn County, Iowa. About 42,732 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Linn County?
12 operating plants with 742 MW of capacity. The largest is Archer Daniels Midland Cedar Rapids (295 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Linn County?
100 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 100 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Clenera DevCo LLC.
Are there data centers in Linn County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Linn County.
Is Linn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 125,508 jobs in 2025 against 131,354 in 2019 (-4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,018 to 8,016.
Does Linn County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Linn County, 2 in force.