U.S. Data Center Construction Tops $50B as AI Reshapes Building Spending
More than 1,500 projects are planned nationwide, with 67% in rural areas and 75% in the South and Midwest, Pew Research Center found.
- The United States hosts more than 3,000 operational data centers, with over 1,500 additional projects currently in development nationwide, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Data Center Map.
- Future development is increasingly targeting rural areas, with 67% of planned projects located there compared to 87% of existing sites in urban centers; 39% of new projects are in counties currently lacking any data centers.
- According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted January 20–26, 2026, 42% of Americans live within 5 miles of an existing or planned data center, with nine-in-ten existing centers located within 5 miles of another.
- Data center construction spending increased 1.9% in April to a $50.7 billion annual rate, with ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu noting these projects buoyed the ABC Construction Backlog Indicator amid broader commercial weakness.
- Virginia and Texas lead the nation with 287 and 170 planned facilities respectively, as three-quarters of all planned projects are slated for The South and The Midwest, with The South alone accounting for 48%.
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United States Construction Spending
Construction Spending in the United States increased 0.40 percent in April of 2026 over the previous month. This page provides the latest reported value for - United States Construction Spending - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.
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Most new data centers in the U.S. are coming to rural areas
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.
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