Taylor County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bedford and Lenox
Taylor County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Taylor County is home to Bedford and Lenox. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month moratorium on data centers and energy projects”. 112 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 122 MW of capacity, 95% of it wind. Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 1.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Taylor County
Taylor County is home to Bedford and Lenox.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Athelstan.
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 Taylor County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,862 | 5,835 | ▼ 0.5% | 96th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,033 | 2,060 | ▲ 1.3% | 28th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,483 | $55,109 | ▲ 43.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.8% | 2.4% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 112 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Taylor County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Employers here counted 2,060 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 5,835 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Taylor County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +112 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Taylor 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% |
| City of Lenox - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 116 MW | 95% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contrail Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 112 MW | 2020 |
| Lenox | City of Lenox - (IA) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1948 |
| August Wind Farm | August Wind Energy, LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2017 |
| Birch | Birch Power LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2017 |
The Taylor County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,060 | $55,109 | 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 Taylor County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month moratorium on data centers and energy projects | In force | 2026-07 |
Taylor County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Taylor County, Nodaway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | 5,835 | ▲ 1.3% | 122 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Adams County | 3,617 | ▼ 10.6% | 205 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Montgomery County | 10,002 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Nodaway County MO | 20,174 | ▲ 4.0% | 844 MW | 490 MW | — | 1 |
| Page County | 14,856 | ▲ 0.5% | 234 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ringgold County | 4,642 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County | 11,829 | ▼ 3.3% | 424 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County MO | 1,914 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Taylor County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Taylor County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Taylor County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Lenox - (IA), United Electric Coop, Inc - (MO). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Taylor County?
4 operating plants with 122 MW of capacity. The largest is Contrail Wind Farm (112 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Taylor County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Taylor County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Nodaway County.
Is Taylor County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,060 jobs in 2025 against 2,033 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Taylor County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Taylor County, 1 in force.