Iron County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mercer and Hurley
Iron 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. Iron County is home to Mercer, Hurley and Montreal. Construction employs 199, up 19.9% since 2019, and construction is 2.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Employers here counted 1,615 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. Wisconsin Public Service Corp is the largest utility serving Iron County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities.
Cities and towns in Iron County
Iron County is home to Mercer, Hurley and Montreal.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Iron Belt, Mercer, Pence, Saxon.
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 Iron County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,144 | 6,127 | ▼ 0.3% | 70th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,655 | 1,615 | ▼ 2.4% | 48th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,039 | $42,728 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 166 | 199 | ▲ 19.9% | 28th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 5.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. 6,127 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Iron County
Utilities with service territory in Iron County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Price 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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saxon Falls | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 2 MW | 1913 |
The Iron County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,615 | $42,728 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 199 | $57,193 | 2.33 |
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 Iron County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Iron County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide.
Iron County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Iron County, Ashland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County | 6,127 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Ashland County | 16,203 | ▼ 2.8% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Gogebic County MI | 14,285 | ▼ 6.8% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Price County | 13,988 | ▼ 11.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Vilas County | 23,761 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Iron County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Iron County, Wisconsin?
4 utilities have service territory in Iron County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Northern States Power Co, Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc, Price Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, charged residential customers 16.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Iron County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Saxon Falls (2 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Iron County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Iron County.
Is Iron County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,615 jobs in 2025 against 1,655 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 166 to 199.
Does Iron County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Iron County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.