State electricity profile · 2024
Iowa Electricity
Iowa's residential electricity rate is 13.40¢/kWh, 18.7% below the US average. Keep scrolling for the commercial and industrial breakdown and generation mix, per EIA filings.
- 13.40¢/kWh
- Residential rate
- -18.7%
- vs US average
- 66%
- Renewable
- 1.4M
- Customers
Verify with EIA → · Methodology
The verdict · 2024
Iowa's residential electricity runs 13.40¢/kWh - 18.7% below the 16.48¢/kWh national average, cheaper than 69% of states, with 66% of its power from renewables.
Rate is the EIA state average across all 1.4M residential customers, a benchmark for comparing states, not the rate on any single bill. Source: EIA Form-861.
What Iowa's Electricity Data Tells Us
The going residential rate in Iowa is 13.40¢/kWh, based on 2024 EIA filings, covering 1.4M metered households in the state, a gap of 18.7% under the national residential average (16.48¢/kWh). Commercial rates sit at 10.22¢/kWh while industrial buyers pay 6.80¢/kWh, reflecting the cost differentials that come from voltage level, load factor, and contract length across EIA Form-861 survey respondents. Residential customers consumed 14.5M MWh over the year on roughly $1.9B in utility revenue, a useful yardstick for sizing local demand against the grid mix that serves it.
The single largest fuel source in Iowa is wind, responsible for 62.5% of what's generated in-state, backed up by coal at 20.4%, plus natural gas at 13.8%. Renewable fuels, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass, collectively account for 65.7% of Iowa's electricity output, a figure that matters because each renewable megawatt-hour displaces fuel costs that otherwise flow through to retail bills. A portfolio this clean typically carries lower marginal generation costs once capacity is built, though transmission upgrades can offset part of the saving.
Looking back across EIA records, residential prices in Iowa moved from 11.94¢/kWh in 2016 to 13.40¢/kWh in 2024, a 12.2% shift over that window. States charging a similar rate include Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, a useful peer set for a sanity check. For anyone negotiating a supplier contract, weighing an energy-efficiency upgrade, or modeling a household budget, the combination of current rate, multi-year trend, and generation mix offers a sturdier footing than any single data point on its own.
-18.7%
vs the US residential average
69%
of states have higher residential rates
66%
renewable share, above the US mix
1.4M
residential customers served
How Iowa compares
Cents per kWh, EIA Form 861. Pick a benchmark above to compare Iowa against the US average or a peer state.
Residential Price History
| Year | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13.40¢/kWh | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 13.31¢/kWh | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 13.15¢/kWh | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 12.73¢/kWh | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 12.46¢/kWh | 0.0% |
| 2019 | 12.46¢/kWh | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 12.24¢/kWh | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 12.34¢/kWh | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 11.94¢/kWh | - |
Energy Generation Mix
How Iowa generates its electricity. Renewable sources account for 65.7% of generation.
- Windrenewable62.5%
- Coal20.4%
- Natural Gas13.8%
- Solarrenewable1.6%
- Hydrorenewable1.5%
- Biomassrenewable0.2%
- Petroleum0.1%
Market Overview
Residential Revenue
$1.9B
Commercial Revenue
$1.3B
Residential Sales
14.5M MWh
Residential Customers
1.4M
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does electricity cost in Iowa? ▼
How much of Iowa's electricity is renewable? ▼
Are electricity prices going up in Iowa? ▼
What are commercial and industrial electricity rates in Iowa? ▼
What is the cheapest energy source in Iowa? ▼
Where does RateWatt's Iowa electricity data come from? ▼
States with Similar Electricity Prices
Using Iowa's numbers
This is the state average, use it as a benchmark, not a quote for your address.
- Iowa sits 18.7% below the national average, see exactly where it lands among all 50 states. See the rankings
- Check the multi-year trend before you judge the rate, a low price rising fast can cost more over a decade than a steady one. Iowa price trend
- Compare Iowa side by side with the US average and peer states using the tool above, then estimate your own bill from your monthly kWh. Cost calculator
Figures are EIA state averages by sector. Your actual rate depends on your utility, plan, and usage, see our disclaimer.
Energy Guides
Understanding Electricity Rates
What ¢/kWh means and how your bill is calculated
Why Prices Vary by State
Generation mix, regulation, and geography
US Energy Sources Explained
How each fuel source powers the grid
Renewable vs Fossil Fuel Costs
LCOE comparison and the cost crossover
Cheapest States for Electricity
Which states pay the least and why
Primary source data for Iowa
Every figure on this page traces to these official federal datasets.
- 📊 EIA State Energy Profile, Iowa State energy database
- ⚡ EIA Electric Power Monthly Generation and price statistics
- 🌿 EPA eGRID Power-grid emissions database
- ☀️ NREL solar resource maps Solar potential by location
- 💨 NREL wind resource maps Wind potential by location
- ⚛️ NRC reactor data Nuclear operating status
- ⚡ FERC market data Transmission and market prices
- 🏛️ NARUC commissions State public utility commissions
- 📖 EIA energy mapping system Interactive federal energy map
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on RateWatt is rendered directly from official U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, no number is typed in by an editor. State prices and generation mix are pulled directly from the EIA's published tables for this state. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15.