Shelby County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Harlan
Shelby County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Construction employs 244, up 70.6% since 2019. Shelby County is home to Harlan, Shelby and Elk Horn. Next door, Pottawattamie County has 8 data centers. Employers here counted 5,531 jobs in 2025, down 4.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Shelby County
Shelby County is home to Harlan, Shelby and Elk Horn.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Corley, Jacksonville.
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 Shelby County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,718 | 11,689 | ▼ 0.2% | 64th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,763 | 5,531 | ▼ 4.0% | 66th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,637 | $53,739 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 143 | 244 | ▲ 70.6% | 4th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Shelby 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. 11,689 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Shelby County
Utilities with service territory in Shelby 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 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harlan Municipal Utilities - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Harrison County Rrl Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nishnabotna Valley R E C | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Shelby - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Western Iowa Power Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan | Harlan Municipal Utilities - (IA) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2001 |
The Shelby County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,531 | $53,739 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 244 | $69,900 | 0.83 |
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 Shelby County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Shelby County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide.
Shelby County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Shelby County, Pottawattamie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 11,689 | ▼ 4.0% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Audubon County | 5,509 | ▼ 0.9% | 485 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 20,303 | ▼ 4.6% | 298 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 12,960 | ▼ 2.1% | 502 MW | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 16,237 | ▼ 5.0% | 102 MW | 252 MW | — | — |
| Harrison County | 14,623 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Pottawattamie County | 92,996 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,814 MW | — | 8 | — |
More of Iowa
Shelby County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shelby County, Iowa?
8 utilities have service territory in Shelby County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Atlantic Municipal Utilities, Harlan Municipal Utilities - (IA), Harrison County Rrl Elec Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Shelby County?
1 operating plant with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Harlan (3 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Shelby County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Shelby County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pottawattamie County.
Is Shelby County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,531 jobs in 2025 against 5,763 in 2019 (-4.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 143 to 244.
Does Shelby County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Shelby County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.