Wapello County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ottumwa
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wapello County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wapello County is home to Ottumwa, Eldon, most of Eddyville (724 of its 960 residents) and Agency. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Its power plants have 729 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal, the 10th largest fleet in Iowa. Employers here counted 15,248 jobs in 2025, down 5.3% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Wapello County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities.
Cities and towns in Wapello County
Wapello County is home to Ottumwa, Eldon, most of Eddyville (724 of its 960 residents) and Agency.
- Eddyville also extends into Mahaska 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 Wapello County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 35,334 | 35,210 | ▼ 0.4% | 20th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,108 | 15,248 | ▼ 5.3% | 77th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,985 | $53,838 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
35,210 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Wapello County
Utilities with service territory in Wapello 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% |
| Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southern Iowa Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| T I P Rural Electric 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 726 MW | 100% |
| Hydro | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa | Interstate Power and Light Co | Coal | 726 MW | 1981 |
| Ottumwa City of | City of Ottumwa - (IA) | Hydro | 3 MW | 1931 |
The Wapello County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,248 | $53,838 | 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 Wapello County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wapello County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Jefferson County.
Wapello County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wapello County, Mahaska 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wapello County | 35,210 | ▼ 5.3% | 729 MW | — | — | — |
| Appanoose County | 12,077 | ▲ 1.5% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Davis County | 9,230 | ▼ 3.0% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 15,291 | ▼ 8.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Keokuk County | 9,797 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Mahaska County | 21,880 | ▲ 2.0% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 7,406 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Buren County | 7,131 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Wapello County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wapello County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Wapello County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Access Energy Coop, Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc, Southern Iowa Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ottumwa, IA in?
Ottumwa is in Wapello County, Iowa. About 25,319 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wapello County?
2 operating plants with 729 MW of capacity. The largest is Ottumwa (726 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Wapello County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wapello County.
Is Wapello County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,248 jobs in 2025 against 16,108 in 2019 (-5.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Wapello County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wapello County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.