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Key Facts About U.S. Data Centers

Pew Research Center · Jenn Hatfield · last updated

In the 2026 midterm elections, people in at least 38 jurisdictions across the United States voted to limit or ban data centers.

Data centers have existed in the U.S. for decades, but their numbers have increased rapidly in recent years to support the development of artificial intelligence. As the number of these facilities has grown, the public has become more aware of them and backlash against them has intensified.

Pew Research Center has done several analyses about data centers in recent years. Here are some key facts from these studies.

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