Mahaska County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oskaloosa and New Sharon
Mahaska 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. Mahaska County is home to Oskaloosa, New Sharon and Fremont. Construction employs 246, down 14.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 168 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 20, at an average $49,379 a year. Employers here counted 8,096 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Mahaska County
Mahaska County is home to Oskaloosa, New Sharon and Fremont.
- Eddyville also extends into Wapello 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 Mahaska County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,151 | 21,880 | ▼ 1.2% | 28th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,936 | 8,096 | ▲ 2.0% | 25th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,648 | $59,494 | ▲ 36.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 289 | 246 | ▼ 14.9% | 74th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Mahaska County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. 21,880 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Mahaska County
Utilities with service territory in Mahaska 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% |
| City of Pella - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| T I P Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pella Cooperative Elec Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 168 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 168 MW | 2018 |
The Mahaska County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,096 | $59,494 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 246 | $59,604 | 0.57 |
| Electrical contractors | 20 | $49,379 | 0.34 |
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 Mahaska County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mahaska County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide.
Mahaska County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Mahaska 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahaska County | 21,880 | ▲ 2.0% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 38,153 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Keokuk County | 9,797 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 34,192 | ▲ 8.4% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 7,406 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
| Poweshiek County | 18,368 | ▼ 6.0% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
| Wapello County | 35,210 | ▼ 5.3% | 729 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Mahaska County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mahaska County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Mahaska County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Pella - (IA), T I P Rural Electric Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Oskaloosa, IA in?
Oskaloosa is in Mahaska County, Iowa. About 11,493 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Mahaska County?
1 operating plant with 168 MW of capacity. The largest is Prairie Wind Farm (168 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Mahaska County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mahaska County.
Is Mahaska County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,096 jobs in 2025 against 7,936 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 289 to 246.
Does Mahaska County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mahaska County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.