Muscatine County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Muscatine, West Liberty and Wilton
The data center boom is not abstract in Muscatine County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Muscatine County. Muscatine County is home to Muscatine, West Liberty, Wilton and Fruitland. 59 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Board of Water Electric & Communications (natural gas), the 4th largest pipeline among Iowa's counties. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 20,987 jobs in 2025, down 9.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Muscatine County
Muscatine County is home to Muscatine, West Liberty, Wilton and Fruitland.
- Durant also extends into Cedar County.
- Blue Grass also extends into Scott County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fairport, Kent Estates, Montpelier, Moscow.
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 Muscatine County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 43,151 | 41,853 | ▼ 3.0% | 14th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,062 | 20,987 | ▼ 9.0% | 89th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,188 | $64,276 | ▲ 28.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 59 MW | 20% of today's fleet | 4th of 6 by size |
20 MW has retired here since 2019, including Muscatine Plant #1 (coal, 18 MW, 2024). Its power plants have 300 MW of capacity, 92% of it coal. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Muscatine County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 41,853 people live here, down 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Muscatine County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Muscatine 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% |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,749 | 13.56¢ | 14% |
| Board of Water Electric & Communications | Municipal | Bundled | 10,123 | 12.63¢ | 16% |
| City of Durant - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Waverly Municipal Elec Utility | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of West Liberty - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wilton - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 276 MW | 92% |
| Petroleum | 23 MW | 8% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine Plant #1 | Board of Water Electric & Communications | Coal | 276 MW | 1958 |
| West Liberty | City of West Liberty - (IA) | Petroleum | 14 MW | 1982 |
| Wilton | City of Wilton - (IA) | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1992 |
| Eastern Iowa Solar | Central Iowa Power Cooperative | Solar | 2 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine Plant #1 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 35 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Board of Water Electric & Communications |
| MPW Solar 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 24 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | MPW Solar 1, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine Plant #1 | Coal | 18 MW | 2024 |
| West Liberty | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Muscatine County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,987 | $64,276 | 1.00 |
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 Muscatine County
1 data center in Muscatine County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Muscatine County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Muscatine County, Rock Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscatine County | 41,853 | ▼ 9.0% | 300 MW | 59 MW | 1 | — |
| Cedar County | 18,359 | ▼ 3.2% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Johnson County | 160,044 | ▲ 2.5% | 124 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Louisa County | 10,416 | ▼ 3.7% | 912 MW | — | — | — |
| Mercer County IL | 15,229 | ▲ 1.0% | 10 MW | 42 MW | 1 | — |
| Rock Island County IL | 141,869 | ▼ 6.2% | 2,705 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 175,259 | ▲ 2.1% | 3 MW | — | 3 | — |
More of Iowa
Muscatine County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Muscatine County, Iowa?
8 utilities have service territory in Muscatine County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop, Board of Water Electric & Communications. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Muscatine, IA in?
Muscatine is in Muscatine County, Iowa. About 23,164 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Muscatine County?
4 operating plants with 300 MW of capacity. The largest is Muscatine Plant #1 (276 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Muscatine County?
59 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Board of Water Electric & Communications.
Are there data centers in Muscatine County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Muscatine County.
Is Muscatine County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,987 jobs in 2025 against 23,062 in 2019 (-9.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Muscatine County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Muscatine County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.