Winnebago County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Forest City and Lake Mills
No data center or power plant project is on record in Winnebago County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Winnebago County is home to most of Forest City (3,788 of its 4,143 residents), Lake Mills and Buffalo Center. Next door, Cerro Gordo County has 2 data centers. Construction employs 194, down 12.2% since 2019. Employers here counted 3,865 jobs in 2025, down 9.6% from 2019. 206 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Winnebago County
Winnebago County is home to most of Forest City (3,788 of its 4,143 residents), Lake Mills and Buffalo Center.
- Forest City also extends into Hancock 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 Winnebago County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,653 | 10,251 | ▼ 3.8% | 71st of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,275 | 3,865 | ▼ 9.6% | 90th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,216 | $48,453 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 221 | 194 | ▼ 12.2% | 73rd of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 3.4% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 206 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including Lake Mills (petroleum, 4 MW, 2020). Its power plants have 332 MW of capacity, 86% of it wind. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Winnebago 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. 10,251 people live here, down 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Winnebago County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +202 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Winnebago 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% |
| Heartland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,351 | 12.67¢ | 12% |
| Prairie Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,440 | 14.34¢ | 0% |
| City of Forest City- (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lake Mills | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 286 MW | 86% |
| Petroleum | 40 MW | 12% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Plains | Interstate Power and Light Co | Wind | 200 MW | 2020 |
| Crystal Lake 3 LLC | Crystal Lake 3 LLC | Wind | 66 MW | 2009 |
| Forest City Light Plant | City of Forest City- (IA) | Petroleum | 22 MW | 1950 |
| Winnebago Wind Power Project | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 20 MW | 2008 |
| Lake Mills | City of Lake Mills - (IA) | Petroleum | 18 MW | 1962 |
| Lake Mills Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2006 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mills | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2020 |
The Winnebago County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,865 | $48,453 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 194 | $64,573 | 0.95 |
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 Winnebago County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Winnebago County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hancock County.
Winnebago County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Winnebago County, Cerro Gordo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago County | 10,251 | ▼ 9.6% | 332 MW | — | — | — |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Faribault County MN | 13,888 | ▼ 0.4% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Freeborn County MN | 30,440 | ▼ 3.0% | 428 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Hancock County | 10,528 | ▼ 7.7% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Kossuth County | 14,322 | ▼ 3.4% | 462 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County | 7,338 | ▼ 3.3% | 355 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Winnebago County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Winnebago County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Winnebago County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Heartland Power Coop, Prairie Energy Coop, City of Forest City- (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Winnebago County?
7 operating plants with 332 MW of capacity. The largest is Golden Plains (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Winnebago County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Winnebago County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cerro Gordo County.
Is Winnebago County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,865 jobs in 2025 against 4,275 in 2019 (-9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 221 to 194.
Does Winnebago County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Winnebago County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.