Marion County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pella, Knoxville and Pleasantville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Marion County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Marion County is home to Pella, Knoxville, Pleasantville and Melcher-Dallas. Next door, Polk County has 30 data centers. Construction employs 579, up 9.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 19,508 jobs in 2025, up 8.4% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). Electrical contractors employ 134, up 9.8% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $80,854 a year.
Cities and towns in Marion County
Marion County is home to Pella, Knoxville, Pleasantville and Melcher-Dallas.
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 Marion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,420 | 34,192 | ▲ 2.3% | 21st of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,997 | 19,508 | ▲ 8.4% | 6th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,669 | $66,183 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 529 | 579 | ▲ 9.5% | 34th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 122 | 134 | ▲ 9.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.7% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 55 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
55 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly hydro. Its power plants have 100 MW of capacity, 55% of it hydro. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Marion 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. 34,192 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Marion County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +55 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Marion 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% |
| Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Pella - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 55 MW | 55% |
| Petroleum | 44 MW | 44% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock Hydro Plant | Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny | Hydro | 55 MW | 2021 |
| Pella Peaking | City of Pella - (IA) | Petroleum | 28 MW | 2003 |
| Knoxville Industrial | MidAmerican Energy Co | Petroleum | 16 MW | 2000 |
| Knoxville Battery Energy Storage | MidAmerican Energy Co | Battery storage | 1 MW | 2018 |
The Marion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,508 | $66,183 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 579 | $69,614 | 0.56 |
| Electrical contractors | 134 | $80,854 | 0.95 |
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 Marion County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Marion County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide.
Marion County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Marion County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 34,192 | ▲ 8.4% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 38,153 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Lucas County | 8,847 | ▼ 12.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Mahaska County | 21,880 | ▲ 2.0% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 7,406 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 516,546 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,066 MW | — | 30 | — |
| Warren County | 57,331 | ▲ 15.7% | 44 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of Iowa
Marion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marion County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Marion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc, City of Pella - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pella, IA in?
Pella is in Marion County, Iowa. About 10,992 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Marion County?
4 operating plants with 100 MW of capacity. The largest is Red Rock Hydro Plant (55 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Marion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marion County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Polk County.
Is Marion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,508 jobs in 2025 against 17,997 in 2019 (+8.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 529 to 579.
Does Marion County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Marion County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.