Tama County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tama, Toledo and Traer
No data center or power plant project is on record in Tama County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Tama County is home to Tama, Toledo, Traer and Dysart. Next door, Black Hawk County has 3 data centers. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 169 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Traer Main (petroleum, 1 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Tama County
Tama County is home to Tama, Toledo, Traer and Dysart.
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 Tama County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,050 | 16,796 | ▼ 1.5% | 43rd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,572 | 5,391 | ▼ 3.2% | 58th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,069 | $49,627 | ▲ 23.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 147 | 138 | ▼ 6.1% | 63rd of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 169 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Construction employs 138, down 6.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 180 MW of capacity, 95% of it wind. Employers here counted 5,391 jobs in 2025, down 3.2% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Tama County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 16,796 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Tama County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +169 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Tama 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% |
| East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,368 | 13.28¢ | 27% |
| Consumers Energy Coop - (IA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,922 | 15.00¢ | 13% |
| City of Dysart - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy County Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| T I P Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Traer - (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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 171 MW | 95% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Creek Wind | Salt Creek Wind, LLC | Wind | 169 MW | 2025 |
| Traer East | City of Traer - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2004 |
| Traer Main | City of Traer - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1963 |
| Traer South | City of Traer - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2001 |
| Traer Wind Project | City of Traer - (IA) | Wind | 2 MW | 2010 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traer Main | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Tama County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,391 | $49,627 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 138 | $67,873 | 0.48 |
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 Tama County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Tama County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Iowa County, Marshall County.
Tama County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Tama County, Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tama County | 16,796 | ▼ 3.2% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 26,004 | ▼ 0.4% | 18 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Black Hawk County | 131,532 | ▼ 4.0% | 394 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Grundy County | 12,361 | ▲ 0.1% | 242 MW | — | — | — |
| Iowa County | 16,504 | ▼ 18.2% | 277 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jasper County | 38,153 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 39,890 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,190 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Poweshiek County | 18,368 | ▼ 6.0% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Tama County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tama County, Iowa?
7 utilities have service territory in Tama County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, East-Central Iowa Rural Elec Coop, Consumers Energy Coop - (IA), City of Dysart - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Tama County?
5 operating plants with 180 MW of capacity. The largest is Salt Creek Wind (169 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Tama County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tama County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Black Hawk County.
Is Tama County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,391 jobs in 2025 against 5,572 in 2019 (-3.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 147 to 138.
Does Tama County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Tama County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.