Monona County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Onawa and Mapleton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Monona County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Monona County is home to Onawa, Mapleton and Whiting. Next door, Crawford County has 252 MW of planned generation. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Monona County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Employers here counted 2,556 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Monona County
Monona County is home to Onawa, Mapleton and Whiting.
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 Monona County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,746 | 8,539 | ▼ 2.4% | 85th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,591 | 2,556 | ▼ 1.4% | 47th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,245 | $47,323 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 64 | 97 | ▲ 51.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
8,539 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Monona County
Utilities with service territory in Monona 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% |
| Harrison County Rrl Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Mapleton- (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Onawa - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Western Iowa Power Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Monona County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Monona County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,556 | $47,323 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 97 | $61,238 | 0.72 |
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 Monona County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Monona County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Ida County, Woodbury County.
Monona County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Monona County, Woodbury 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monona County | 8,539 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Burt County NE | 6,678 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
| Crawford County | 16,237 | ▼ 5.0% | 102 MW | 252 MW | — | — |
| Harrison County | 14,623 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Ida County | 6,777 | ▼ 4.2% | 502 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Thurston County NE | 6,752 | ▲ 9.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County | 106,649 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,284 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Iowa
Monona County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monona County, Iowa?
7 utilities have service territory in Monona County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Harrison County Rrl Elec Coop, City of Mapleton- (IA), City of Onawa - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Monona County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monona County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Crawford County.
Is Monona County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,556 jobs in 2025 against 2,591 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 64 to 97.
Does Monona County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monona County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.