Worth County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Northwood and Manly
Worth 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. Worth County is home to Northwood and Manly. Construction employs 101, down 35.7% since 2019. Next door, Cerro Gordo County has 2 data centers. Owners plan to retire 80 MW more by 2035, led by Old Gold Energy Center, LLC in 2027. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies.
Cities and towns in Worth County
Worth County is home to Northwood and Manly.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bolan.
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 Worth County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,437 | 7,338 | ▼ 1.3% | 89th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,361 | 2,284 | ▼ 3.3% | 59th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,639 | $48,666 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 157 | 101 | ▼ 35.7% | 80th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22 | 19 | ▼ 13.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 355 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind. Employers here counted 2,284 jobs in 2025, down 3.3% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Worth 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. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 19, down 13.6% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $50,340 a year. 7,338 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Worth County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Worth 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% |
| Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 6 | 17.00¢ | 0% |
| Grafton Electric - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 351 MW | 99% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton Windpower LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 158 MW | 2009 |
| Northern Iowa Windpower II | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 80 MW | 2008 |
| Old Gold Energy Center, LLC | Old Gold Energy Center, LLC | Wind | 80 MW | 2001 |
| Top of Iowa Windfarm III | Madison Gas & Electric Co | Wind | 30 MW | 2008 |
| POET Biorefining-Hanlontown, LLC | POET Biorefining-Hanlontown, LLC | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2019 |
| Roeder Family Wind Farm LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 2 MW | 2011 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Gold Energy Center, LLC | Wind | 80 MW | 2027 |
The Worth County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,284 | $48,666 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 101 | $55,057 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 19 | $50,340 | 1.15 |
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 Worth County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Worth County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Hancock County, Mitchell County.
Worth County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Worth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worth County | 7,338 | ▼ 3.3% | 355 MW | — | — | — |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Freeborn County MN | 30,440 | ▼ 3.0% | 428 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Hancock County | 10,528 | ▼ 7.7% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Mitchell County | 10,650 | ▼ 17.9% | 526 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Mower County MN | 40,971 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,145 MW | — | — | — |
| Winnebago County | 10,251 | ▼ 9.6% | 332 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Worth County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Worth County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Worth County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Heartland Power Coop, Prairie Energy Coop, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Worth County?
7 operating plants with 355 MW of capacity. The largest is Barton Windpower LLC (158 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Worth County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Worth County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cerro Gordo County.
Is Worth County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,284 jobs in 2025 against 2,361 in 2019 (-3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 157 to 101.
Does Worth County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Worth County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.