Pottawattamie County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Council Bluffs, Carter Lake and Avoca
Pottawattamie County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Pottawattamie County, 9% of Iowa's total. Pottawattamie County is home to Council Bluffs, Carter Lake, Avoca and Oakland. Construction employs 2,271, down 27.3% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,814 MW of capacity, 91% of it coal, the largest fleet in Iowa. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Pottawattamie County
Pottawattamie County is home to Council Bluffs, Carter Lake, Avoca and Oakland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bentley, Loveland, Weston.
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 Pottawattamie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 93,667 | 92,996 | ▼ 0.7% | 10th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40,229 | 41,804 | ▲ 3.9% | 17th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,989 | $57,962 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,123 | 2,271 | ▼ 27.3% | 78th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,225 | 587 | ▼ 52.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 41,804 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Pottawattamie 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. 92,996 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020, 10th of 99 Iowa counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 587, down 52.1% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $82,587 a year.
Who powers Pottawattamie County
Utilities with service territory in Pottawattamie 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% |
| Atlantic Municipal Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harrison County Rrl Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Neola - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nishnabotna Valley R E C | — | — | — | — | — |
| Omaha Public Power District | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Shelby - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Waverly Municipal Elec Utility | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,648 MW | 91% |
| Wind | 165 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Scott Jr Energy Center | MidAmerican Energy Co | Coal | 1,648 MW | 1978 |
| Walnut Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 165 MW | 2008 |
The Pottawattamie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 41,804 | $57,962 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,271 | $74,807 | 1.03 |
| Electrical contractors | 587 | $82,587 | 1.95 |
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 Pottawattamie County
8 data centers in Pottawattamie County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Pottawattamie County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Pottawattamie County, Sarpy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pottawattamie County | 92,996 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,814 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Cass County | 12,960 | ▼ 2.1% | 502 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County NE | 606,460 | ● 0.0% | 941 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Harrison County | 14,623 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Mills County | 14,793 | ▼ 12.8% | — | 50 MW | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 10,002 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Sarpy County NE | 208,303 | ▲ 14.0% | 866 MW | 272 MW | 16 | — |
| Shelby County | 11,689 | ▼ 4.0% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County NE | 21,302 | ▲ 10.0% | 5 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
More of Iowa
Pottawattamie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pottawattamie County, Iowa?
8 utilities have service territory in Pottawattamie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Atlantic Municipal Utilities, Harrison County Rrl Elec Coop, City of Neola - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Council Bluffs, IA in?
Council Bluffs is in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. About 62,680 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pottawattamie County?
2 operating plants with 1,814 MW of capacity. The largest is Walter Scott Jr Energy Center (1,648 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Pottawattamie County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Pottawattamie County.
Is Pottawattamie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 41,804 jobs in 2025 against 40,229 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,123 to 2,271.
Does Pottawattamie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pottawattamie County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.