Van Buren County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Douds and Leando
Van Buren 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. Van Buren County is home to Keosauqua and Farmington. Employers here counted 1,928 jobs in 2025, up 2.1% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Van Buren County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 7,131 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Van Buren County
Van Buren County is home to Keosauqua and Farmington.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Douds, Leando, Mount Sterling.
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 Van Buren County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,221 | 7,131 | ▼ 1.2% | 90th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,888 | 1,928 | ▲ 2.1% | 23rd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,538 | $48,384 | ▲ 25.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
Who powers Van Buren County
Utilities with service territory in Van Buren 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% |
| Access Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,850 | 14.95¢ | 6% |
| Keosauqua Municipal Light & Pwr | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southern Iowa Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Van Buren County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Van Buren County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,928 | $48,384 | 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 Van Buren County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Van Buren County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Henry County, Jefferson County.
Van Buren County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Van Buren County, Wapello 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 7,131 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Clark County MO | 6,475 | ▼ 4.4% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Davis County | 9,230 | ▼ 3.0% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 19,349 | ▼ 13.2% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jefferson County | 15,291 | ▼ 8.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Lee County | 32,306 | ▼ 11.2% | 458 MW | — | — | — |
| Scotland County MO | 4,796 | ▲ 11.9% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Wapello County | 35,210 | ▼ 5.3% | 729 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Van Buren County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Van Buren County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Van Buren County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Access Energy Coop, Keosauqua Municipal Light & Pwr, Southern Iowa Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Van Buren County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Van Buren County.
Is Van Buren County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,928 jobs in 2025 against 1,888 in 2019 (+2.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Van Buren County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Van Buren County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.