Montgomery County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Red Oak and Villisca
No data center or power plant project is on record in Montgomery County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Montgomery County is home to Red Oak, Villisca and Stanton. Construction employs 240, up 36.4% since 2019. Next door, Pottawattamie County has 8 data centers. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 4,004 jobs in 2025, down 2.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Montgomery County
Montgomery County is home to Red Oak, Villisca and Stanton.
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 Montgomery County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,334 | 10,002 | ▼ 3.2% | 72nd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,124 | 4,004 | ▼ 2.9% | 53rd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,071 | $52,533 | ▲ 27.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 176 | 240 | ▲ 36.4% | 10th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Montgomery 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. 10,002 people live here, down 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Montgomery County
Utilities with service territory in Montgomery 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 Stanton - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Villisca - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southwest Iowa Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villisca Municipal Power Plant | City of Villisca - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2003 |
The Montgomery County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,004 | $52,533 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 240 | $57,796 | 1.13 |
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 Montgomery County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Montgomery County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Adams County, Page County, Taylor County.
Montgomery County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Montgomery County, Pottawattamie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 10,002 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 3,617 | ▼ 10.6% | 205 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cass County | 12,960 | ▼ 2.1% | 502 MW | — | — | — |
| Fremont County | 6,522 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Mills County | 14,793 | ▼ 12.8% | — | 50 MW | — | — |
| Page County | 14,856 | ▲ 0.5% | 234 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pottawattamie County | 92,996 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,814 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Taylor County | 5,835 | ▲ 1.3% | 122 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Iowa
Montgomery County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montgomery County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Montgomery County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Stanton - (IA), City of Villisca - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Montgomery County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Villisca Municipal Power Plant (4 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Montgomery County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Montgomery County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pottawattamie County.
Is Montgomery County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,004 jobs in 2025 against 4,124 in 2019 (-2.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 176 to 240.
Does Montgomery County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montgomery County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.