Lyon County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rock Rapids and George
No data center or power plant project is on record in Lyon County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 325, up 45.7% since 2019. Lyon County is home to Rock Rapids, George, Inwood and Larchwood. Next door, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, has 6 data centers. Employers here counted 4,951 jobs in 2025, up 6.8% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Lyon County
Lyon County is home to Rock Rapids, George, Inwood and Larchwood.
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 Lyon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,924 | 12,354 | ▲ 3.6% | 61st of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,636 | 4,951 | ▲ 6.8% | 10th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,245 | $52,179 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 223 | 325 | ▲ 45.7% | 8th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.8% | 2.2% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Lyon County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 1.8% in 2019. 12,354 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Lyon County
Utilities with service territory in Lyon 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% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| City of Larchwood - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lyon Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
| Osceola Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rock Rapids Municipal Utility | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Rapids | Rock Rapids Municipal Utility - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1968 |
The Lyon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,951 | $52,179 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 325 | $55,069 | 1.24 |
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 Lyon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lyon County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Lincoln County, Minnehaha County, Sioux County.
Lyon County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Lyon County, Minnehaha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County SD | 77,145 | ▲ 27.9% | 4 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Minnehaha County SD | 212,691 | ▲ 8.7% | 406 MW | — | 6 | 1 |
| Nobles County MN | 22,338 | ▼ 4.8% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Osceola County | 5,980 | ▲ 9.7% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Rock County MN | 9,524 | ▲ 17.3% | 328 MW | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 36,774 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Iowa
Lyon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lyon County, Iowa?
9 utilities have service territory in Lyon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, North West Rural Electric Coop, City of Larchwood - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lyon County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Rock Rapids (2 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Lyon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lyon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Minnehaha County.
Is Lyon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,951 jobs in 2025 against 4,636 in 2019 (+6.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 223 to 325.
Does Lyon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lyon County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.