Union County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Creston
No data center or power plant project is on record in Union County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Union County is home to Creston and Afton. Construction employs 127, down 26.6% since 2019. Next door, Madison County has 1 data center. 362 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. 22 MW has retired here since 2019, including Summit Lake (natural gas, 22 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in Union County
Union County is home to Creston and Afton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kent.
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 Union County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,130 | 11,829 | ▼ 2.5% | 63rd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,020 | 5,822 | ▼ 3.3% | 60th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,840 | $52,186 | ▲ 31.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 173 | 127 | ▼ 26.6% | 77th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 362 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 22 MW | — |
Its power plants have 424 MW of capacity, 60% of it wind. Employers here counted 5,822 jobs in 2025, down 3.3% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Union 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. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 11,829 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Union County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +339 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Union 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% |
| City of Afton- (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 | 254 MW | 60% |
| Natural gas | 119 MW | 28% |
| Solar | 51 MW | 12% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Hills Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 254 MW | 2021 |
| Summit Lake | Central Iowa Power Cooperative | Natural gas | 119 MW | 1973 |
| Creston Solar (50 MW) | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 50 MW | 2024 |
| Creston School Customer Hosted Solar | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 1 MW | 2025 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit Lake | Natural gas | 22 MW | 2021 |
The Union County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,822 | $52,186 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 127 | $62,068 | 0.41 |
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 Union County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Union County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Adams County, Clarke County, Madison County, Taylor County.
Union County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Union County, Adair 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 11,829 | ▼ 3.3% | 424 MW | — | — | — |
| Adair County | 7,403 | ▲ 16.2% | 1,152 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 3,617 | ▼ 10.6% | 205 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clarke County | 9,574 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Decatur County | 7,655 | ▼ 5.1% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 17,270 | ▲ 9.2% | 137 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Ringgold County | 4,642 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 5,835 | ▲ 1.3% | 122 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Iowa
Union County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Union County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Union County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Afton- (IA), Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA), Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Union County?
4 operating plants with 424 MW of capacity. The largest is Southern Hills Wind Farm (254 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Union County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Union County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Madison County.
Is Union County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,822 jobs in 2025 against 6,020 in 2019 (-3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 173 to 127.
Does Union County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Union County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.