Mitchell County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Osage and St. Ansgar
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Mitchell County. Construction employs 201, down 80.1% since 2019. Mitchell County is home to Osage and St. Ansgar. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through December 31, 2026”. Employers here counted 3,871 jobs in 2025, down 17.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 1.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Mitchell County
Mitchell County is home to Osage and St. Ansgar.
- Riceville also extends into Howard County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Little Cedar, Meyer, Mona, New Haven, Otranto, Toeterville.
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 Mitchell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,591 | 10,650 | ▲ 0.6% | 68th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,714 | 3,871 | ▼ 17.9% | 97th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,785 | $54,838 | ▲ 14.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,010 | 201 | ▼ 80.1% | 81st of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25 | 23 | ▼ 8.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.7% | 3.1% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 526 MW of capacity, 95% of it wind. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Mitchell County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Electrical contractors employ 23, down 8.0% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $65,275 a year. 10,650 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Mitchell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mitchell 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% |
| MiEnergy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,006 | 16.91¢ | 34% |
| Heartland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,351 | 12.67¢ | 12% |
| City of Osage - (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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 502 MW | 95% |
| Natural gas | 9 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 7 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 7 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm | Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm I, LLC | Wind | 300 MW | 2008 |
| Turtle Creek Wind Farm LLC | Turtle Creek Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 199 MW | 2018 |
| Osage (IA) | City of Osage - (IA) | Natural gas | 19 MW | 1963 |
| Douglas (IA) | OneEnergy, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Little Cedar | OneEnergy, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Buffalo Center Wind LLC | Buffalo Center Wind LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2011 |
The Mitchell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,871 | $54,838 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 201 | $64,461 | 0.98 |
| Electrical contractors | 23 | $65,275 | 0.82 |
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 Mitchell County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through December 31, 2026 | In force | 2025-01 |
Mitchell County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Mitchell County, Cerro Gordo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County | 10,650 | ▼ 17.9% | 526 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Chickasaw County | 11,663 | ▲ 5.3% | 229 MW | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 14,901 | ▼ 8.2% | 119 MW | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 9,415 | ▲ 4.3% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Mower County MN | 40,971 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,145 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County | 7,338 | ▼ 3.3% | 355 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Mitchell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mitchell County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Mitchell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, MiEnergy Cooperative, Heartland Power Coop, City of Osage - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mitchell County?
7 operating plants with 526 MW of capacity. The largest is Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm (300 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Mitchell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mitchell County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cerro Gordo County.
Is Mitchell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,871 jobs in 2025 against 4,714 in 2019 (-17.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,010 to 201.
Does Mitchell County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Mitchell County, 1 in force.