Wright County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Eagle Grove, Clarion and Belmond
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wright County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wright County is home to Eagle Grove, Clarion, Belmond and Goldfield. Next door, Cerro Gordo County has 2 data centers. Construction employs 182, down 9.9% since 2019. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Phoenix Investors, LLC (petroleum, 5 MW, 2025). Employers here counted 6,325 jobs in 2025, up 4.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Wright County
Wright County is home to Eagle Grove, Clarion, Belmond and Goldfield.
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 Wright County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,919 | 12,801 | ▼ 0.9% | 59th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,070 | 6,325 | ▲ 4.2% | 15th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,440 | $61,116 | ▲ 37.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 202 | 182 | ▼ 9.9% | 69th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Wright County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 12,801 people live here, down 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Wright County
Utilities with service territory in Wright 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% |
| Boone Valley Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cass Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin Rural Electric Coop - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Woolstock - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Wright County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Investors, LLC | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2025 |
The Wright County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,325 | $61,116 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 182 | $55,867 | 0.54 |
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 Wright County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wright County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hancock County.
Wright County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Wright 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright County | 12,801 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Cerro Gordo County | 42,372 | ▼ 5.2% | 787 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Franklin County | 9,868 | ▲ 0.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 452 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County | 10,528 | ▼ 7.7% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Hardin County | 16,455 | ▼ 4.5% | 153 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Humboldt County | 9,409 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Kossuth County | 14,322 | ▼ 3.4% | 462 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 36,838 | ▼ 4.9% | 380 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Wright County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wright County, Iowa?
8 utilities have service territory in Wright 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.
Are there data centers in Wright County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wright County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cerro Gordo County.
Is Wright County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,325 jobs in 2025 against 6,070 in 2019 (+4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 202 to 182.
Does Wright County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wright County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.