Sioux County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sioux Center, Orange City and Rock Valley
Sioux County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 1,021, up 122.0% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $103,191 a year. Construction employs 2,057, up 53.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Sioux County is home to Sioux Center, Orange City, Rock Valley and Hawarden. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center and BESS moratorium”. Next door, Lincoln County, South Dakota, has 1 data center.
Cities and towns in Sioux County
Sioux County is home to Sioux Center, Orange City, Rock Valley and Hawarden.
- Sheldon also extends into O'Brien 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 Sioux County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 35,888 | 36,774 | ▲ 2.5% | 19th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,254 | 23,005 | ▲ 8.2% | 7th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,315 | $57,985 | ▲ 33.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,340 | 2,057 | ▲ 53.5% | 6th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 460 | 1,021 | ▲ 122.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.8% | 2.2% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
Employers here counted 23,005 jobs in 2025, up 8.2% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Sioux 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. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 1.8% in 2019. 36,774 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Sioux County
Utilities with service territory in Sioux 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% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| City of Alton | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Hawarden - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lyon Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Orange City - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Sioux Center | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Sioux County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sioux County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,005 | $57,985 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,057 | $84,241 | 1.69 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,021 | $103,191 | 6.15 |
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 Sioux County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center and BESS moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Sioux County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Sioux County, O'Brien 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux County | 36,774 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Cherokee County | 11,369 | ▲ 2.2% | 212 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County SD | 77,145 | ▲ 27.9% | 4 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Lyon County | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Osceola County | 5,980 | ▲ 9.7% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Plymouth County | 25,697 | ▲ 0.1% | 203 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Union County SD | 17,402 | ▼ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Sioux County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sioux County, Iowa?
9 utilities have service territory in Sioux County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, North West Rural Electric Coop, City of Alton. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Sioux County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sioux County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lincoln County.
Is Sioux County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,005 jobs in 2025 against 21,254 in 2019 (+8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,340 to 2,057.
Does Sioux County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Sioux County, 1 in force.