Pocahontas County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pocahontas and Laurens
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pocahontas County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pocahontas County is home to Pocahontas, Laurens and Fonda. Employers here counted 2,525 jobs in 2025, down 22.1% from 2019. Next door, Clay County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Laurens (petroleum, 2 MW, 2025).
Cities and towns in Pocahontas County
Pocahontas County is home to Pocahontas, Laurens and Fonda.
- Gilmore City also extends into Humboldt County.
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 Pocahontas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,070 | 6,819 | ▼ 3.6% | 91st of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,241 | 2,525 | ▼ 22.1% | 99th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,111 | $55,357 | ▲ 15.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 3.5% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Its power plants have 378 MW of capacity, 97% of it wind. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Pocahontas 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. 6,819 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Pocahontas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pocahontas 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% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,714 | 13.78¢ | 22% |
| Calhoun County Elec Coop Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Fonda - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Laurens - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Pocahontas - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 366 MW | 97% |
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomeroy Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 286 MW | 2007 |
| Pocahontas Prairie Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 80 MW | 2012 |
| Laurens | City of Laurens - (IA) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2013 |
| West Diesel Generation Unit | City of Pocahontas - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2006 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Pocahontas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,525 | $55,357 | 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 Pocahontas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pocahontas County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide.
Pocahontas County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Pocahontas County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County | 6,819 | ▼ 22.1% | 378 MW | — | — | — |
| Buena Vista County | 20,449 | ▼ 6.8% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 9,562 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Humboldt County | 9,409 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Kossuth County | 14,322 | ▼ 3.4% | 462 MW | — | — | — |
| Palo Alto County | 8,899 | ▼ 3.7% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Sac County | 9,525 | ▼ 1.2% | 211 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 36,838 | ▼ 4.9% | 380 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Pocahontas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pocahontas County, Iowa?
8 utilities have service territory in Pocahontas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pocahontas County?
4 operating plants with 378 MW of capacity. The largest is Pomeroy Wind Farm (286 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Pocahontas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pocahontas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Pocahontas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,525 jobs in 2025 against 3,241 in 2019 (-22.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pocahontas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pocahontas County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.