{"id":299017,"date":"2026-04-13T13:51:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=299017"},"modified":"2026-04-13T13:52:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:52:28","slug":"most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/04\/13\/most-new-data-centers-in-the-us-are-coming-to-rural-areas\/","title":{"rendered":"Most new data centers in the U.S. are coming to rural areas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Construction continues at a new Meta data center in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, on March 31. (Joe Timmerman\/Wisconsin Watch via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The United States has more than 3,000 operational data centers, and that number is expected to grow substantially in the years ahead. More than 1,500 new data centers are in various stages of development nationwide, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from Data Center Map<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center analysis looks at the location of planned and operational data centers in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This research builds on our recent work about data centers and artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a> and our work on AI<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Data on the number and location of U.S. data centers comes from Data Center Map<\/a>, one of the oldest and most comprehensive industry databases. It is current as of Feb. 19, 2026. We combined data centers categorized as \u201cunder construction,\u201d \u201cplanned\u201d and \u201cland banked\u201d into a single category and removed any projects marked as \u201ccanceled\u201d or \u201cuncertain.\u201d Read more about the Data Center Map methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For our analysis of the counties and types of communities where data centers are located, we used the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s urban-rural classification<\/a> and county geographies<\/a> data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also referenced a Pew Research Center survey of 8,512 U.S. adults conducted from Jan. 20 to 26, 2026. The survey examined Americans\u2019 awareness of and opinions about data centers. Here are the survey questions<\/a>, the detailed responses<\/a> and the survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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In a shift, most planned data centers in the U.S. are in rural areas<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
% of data centers in the U.S. that are in __ areas<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Note: Urban\/rural categories based on U.S. Census Bureau. Planned category includes data centers listed as “under construction,” “planned” or “land banked.”<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Source: Data Center Map, accessed Feb. 19, 2026.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t