Plymouth County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Le Mars, Remsen and Akron
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Plymouth County. Plymouth County is home to Le Mars, Remsen, Akron and Kingsley. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year revocable data center moratorium”. Construction employs 374, down 11.2% since 2019. 203 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 203 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Plymouth County
Plymouth County is home to Le Mars, Remsen, Akron and Kingsley.
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 Plymouth County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,697 | 25,697 | ● 0.0% | 25th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,625 | 11,642 | ▲ 0.1% | 40th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,321 | $62,434 | ▲ 24.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 421 | 374 | ▼ 11.2% | 70th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 203 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Plymouth County, one of 9 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 11,642 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019. 25,697 people live here, up 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Plymouth County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +203 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Plymouth 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% |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,714 | 13.78¢ | 22% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| City of Akron - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Hinton | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Remsen - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Westfield - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 203 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth Wind | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 203 MW | 2022 |
The Plymouth County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,642 | $62,434 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 374 | $62,271 | 0.61 |
| Electric utilities | 67 | $127,656 | 2.13 |
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 Plymouth County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year revocable data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Plymouth County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Plymouth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth County | 25,697 | ▲ 0.1% | 203 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cherokee County | 11,369 | ▲ 2.2% | 212 MW | — | — | — |
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 36,774 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Union County SD | 17,402 | ▼ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Woodbury County | 106,649 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,284 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
More of Iowa
Plymouth County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Plymouth County, Iowa?
9 utilities have service territory in Plymouth County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, North West Rural Electric Coop, City of Akron - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Le Mars, IA in?
Le Mars is in Plymouth County, Iowa. About 10,760 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Plymouth County?
1 operating plant with 203 MW of capacity. The largest is Plymouth Wind (203 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Plymouth County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Plymouth County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Woodbury County.
Is Plymouth County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,642 jobs in 2025 against 11,625 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 421 to 374.
Does Plymouth County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Plymouth County, 1 in force.