What Americans weigh when a data center comes to town
Overview
The data-center buildout behind the AI boom meets a skeptical public at the local level. When residents picture one proposed nearby, cost and environmental worries dominate, and concrete benefits like jobs and tax revenue draw far less attention.
That skepticism translates into a willingness to act. Opposition far outweighs support, and only a minority say they would do nothing at all.
Topline
58.8% would weigh higher energy or water prices.
If a company proposed building a new data center in your community, and you were considering whether or not to support it, which of the following would you think about? (Check all the apply)
- Higher energy or water prices 58.8%
- Negative environmental effects, such as pollution 50.4%
- Job losses from AI or automation 43.7%
- AI changing society for the worst 36.5%
- More jobs for the local community 27.1%
- More tax revenue for the local community 26.7%
Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2026-050
View source dataCosts and the environment top the list
58.8% say higher energy or water prices would be on their mind, and 50.4% cite negative environmental effects such as pollution.
Local benefits register with fewer people: 27.1% mention more jobs for the community and 26.7% more tax revenue.
AI itself drives much of the unease
43.7% point to job losses from AI or automation, and 36.5% say a data center would mean AI changing society for the worse.
Only 13.6% associate it with AI changing society for the better.
Topline
40.1% would sign a petition opposing a local data center.
If a new data center were proposed in your community, which of the following would you consider doing?
- Sign a petition opposing the project 40.1%
- Take no action 37.5%
- Contact a local official to oppose the project 27.9%
- Publicly oppose the project at a local meeting 25.5%
- Attend a protest to oppose the project 20.4%
- Contact a local official to support the project 9.5%
Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2026-050
View source dataMost would push back
40.1% say they would sign a petition opposing the project, 27.9% would contact a local official to oppose it, and 25.5% would speak against it at a local meeting; 20.4% would attend a protest.
Support is rare: 9.5% would contact an official in favor and 8.9% would speak up to support it. 37.5% would take no action.
Methodology
Full methodology- Mode
- Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population
- US adults age 18+
- Field dates
- 2026-06-21 → 2026-06-21
- Base (unweighted)
- 1,000
- Margin of error
- +/- 3.2%
- Module
- 3
- Sponsor
- Verasight
- Weight variable
- weight
- Weighting targets
- age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status
Sources
[2]- 01If a company proposed building a new data center in your community, and you were considering whether or not to support it, which of the following would you think about? (Check all the apply)58.8% would think about higher energy or water prices when weighing a local data center, and 50.4% about negative environmental effects.reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26
- 02If a new data center were proposed in your community, which of the following would you consider doing?40.1% would sign a petition opposing a proposed data center, against fewer than one in ten who would act in support.reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26
Citation
Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2026-050, fielded June 21-21, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.