Webster County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Dodge
Webster County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Webster County is home to Fort Dodge, Gowrie, Dayton and Badger. Electrical contractors employ 219, up 28.8% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $73,028 a year. Next door, Boone County has 1 data center. Construction employs 1,333, down 5.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Webster County
Webster County is home to Fort Dodge, Gowrie, Dayton and Badger.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Coalville.
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 Webster County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,997 | 36,838 | ▼ 0.4% | 18th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,218 | 17,328 | ▼ 4.9% | 72nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,759 | $58,614 | ▲ 25.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,406 | 1,333 | ▼ 5.2% | 61st of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 170 | 219 | ▲ 28.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 380 MW of capacity, 71% of it wind. Employers here counted 17,328 jobs in 2025, down 4.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Webster County, one of 10 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 36,838 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Webster County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Webster 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% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| Prairie Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,440 | 14.34¢ | 0% |
| City of Callender - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County Elec Coop Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Dayton - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gowrie Municipal Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 271 MW | 71% |
| Solar | 100 MW | 26% |
| Natural gas | 5 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lundgren Wind Project | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 271 MW | 2014 |
| Holliday Creek Solar | MidAmerican Energy Co | Solar | 100 MW | 2022 |
| POET Biorefining - Gowrie | POET Biorefining - Gowrie | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Gowrie | Gowrie Municipal Utilities - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2013 |
| Dayton (IA) | City of Dayton - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2000 |
The Webster County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,328 | $58,614 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,333 | $77,165 | 1.45 |
| Electrical contractors | 219 | $73,028 | 1.75 |
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 Webster County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Webster County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Boone County.
Webster County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Webster County, Boone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webster County | 36,838 | ▼ 4.9% | 380 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 26,799 | ▼ 2.2% | 348 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Calhoun County | 9,562 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 8,658 | ▼ 6.1% | 74 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 452 MW | — | — | — |
| Humboldt County | 9,409 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Pocahontas County | 6,819 | ▼ 22.1% | 378 MW | — | — | — |
| Wright County | 12,801 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Webster County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Webster County, Iowa?
10 utilities have service territory in Webster County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, Prairie Energy Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fort Dodge, IA in?
Fort Dodge is in Webster County, Iowa. About 24,837 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Webster County?
5 operating plants with 380 MW of capacity. The largest is Lundgren Wind Project (271 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Webster County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Webster County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Boone County.
Is Webster County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,328 jobs in 2025 against 18,218 in 2019 (-4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,406 to 1,333.
Does Webster County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Webster County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.