Aug 21, 2026
75 percent of Americans now oppose building a data center near them, according to a Heatmap News survey. 61 percent are "strongly opposed." A year ago, opinion was nearly even at 43 percent in favor and 42 percent against. A slim majority first emerged in February. Heatmap News journalist Robinson Meyer calls it "a swift, massive shift."
Acceptance of data centers in the US has been dropping steadily for a year. | Image: Heatmap Pro / Embold Researc
The survey asked the same question repeatedly over the past year. Breakdowns by party and urban-rural splits are in the full report at Heatmap News.
The numbers roughly match a Gallup poll from May, which found 71 percent opposed, 48 percent "strongly." Data centers now rank above racism and Israel as a campaign issue. The top concerns are local power costs, water use, and land use.
