Wayne County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Corydon
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wayne County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wayne County is home to Corydon and Seymour. Employers here counted 2,023 jobs in 2025, up 7.3% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Wayne 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. 6,738 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Corydon and Seymour.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,507 | 6,738 | ▲ 3.6% | 93rd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,885 | 2,023 | ▲ 7.3% | 8th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,621 | $54,073 | ▲ 36.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
Who powers Wayne County
Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grundy Electric 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 Wayne County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,023 | $54,073 | 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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Clarke County.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wayne County, Putnam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 6,738 | ▲ 7.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Appanoose County | 12,077 | ▲ 1.5% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Clarke County | 9,574 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Decatur County | 7,655 | ▼ 5.1% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Lucas County | 8,847 | ▼ 12.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Mercer County MO | 3,404 | ▼ 53.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 7,406 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
| Putnam County MO | 4,546 | ▲ 7.4% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Chariton Valley Elec Coop, Inc, Clarke Electric Coop Inc - (IA), Grundy Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,023 jobs in 2025 against 1,885 in 2019 (+7.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.