Ringgold County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mount Ayr
No data center or power plant project is on record in Ringgold County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Ringgold County is home to Mount Ayr. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Ringgold County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Employers here counted 1,393 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 4,642 people live here, up 0.0% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Ringgold County
Ringgold County is home to Mount Ayr.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Delphos, Sun Valley Lake.
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 Ringgold County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,641 | 4,642 | ● 0.0% | 98th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,380 | 1,393 | ▲ 0.9% | 32nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,965 | $49,259 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.6% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
Who powers Ringgold County
Utilities with service territory in Ringgold County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate Power and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 417,153 | 17.90¢ | 29% |
| Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| United Electric Coop, Inc - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Ringgold County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Ringgold County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,393 | $49,259 | 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 Ringgold County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ringgold County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Adams County, Clarke County, Taylor County.
Ringgold County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Ringgold County, Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ringgold County | 4,642 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 3,617 | ▼ 10.6% | 205 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clarke County | 9,574 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Decatur County | 7,655 | ▼ 5.1% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County MO | 8,281 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 5,835 | ▲ 1.3% | 122 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Union County | 11,829 | ▼ 3.3% | 424 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County MO | 1,914 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Ringgold County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ringgold County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Ringgold County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA), Grundy Electric Coop, Inc, United Electric Coop, Inc - (MO). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Ringgold County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ringgold County.
Is Ringgold County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,393 jobs in 2025 against 1,380 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Ringgold County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ringgold County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.