WASHINGTON, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Data centers’ impact on real estate is dramatically different depending on the local market, according to the 2026 Data Center Impact Report from the National Association of REALTORS®. The report combines a national, state and county-level data analysis with a survey of agents who are REALTORS® working in these markets to paint a fuller picture of what data center growth means for housing, jobs and utility costs.

Data centers are highly concentrated in a small number of markets. While they are found across much of the country, 92% of the U.S. counties have no mapped data centers, and only 1% have 10 or more. Some of the largest clusters are in Northern Virginia, where Loudoun and Prince William counties alone account for about 19% of all mapped data centers nationwide. Other major clusters include Silicon Valley (5%), central Ohio, including Franklin and Licking counties (5%), the Phoenix area (4%) and central Washington (4%).

Counties with more data centers generally have higher home values, higher incomes and stronger long-term job growth than counties without them. The median home value in counties without data centers is $174,500. In counties with 10 or more data centers, the median home value is $431,750. Home values in those high-concentration counties grew 95% over the past decade, compared with 64% in counties without data centers. Importantly, the report cautions that correlation is not causation. In counties with a high concentration of data centers, the higher median home price and stronger price growth are not necessarily driven by the presence of data centers. These counties were already high-income, highly educated technology hubs before the recent surge in new facilities.

“There is no single data center effect. Instead, the story varies significantly depending on the local market,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “The number of data centers alone does not tell us what will happen to home values, jobs or utility costs.”

The REALTOR® survey in the report also finds that there is not one singular data center effect on the housing market. Thirty-eight percent of respondents reported a data center already in place or in development in their market. Perceptions of the residential impact were mixed, with 25% seeing a positive effect on nearby home values and 22% a negative one. The commercial picture was more clearly positive, with 50% reporting increased nearby commercial property values, and 42% reporting increased demand for nearby commercial space, particularly industrial properties and land. At the same time, REALTORS® pointed to real client concerns, led by energy costs (61%) and water use (56%).

“We do not see evidence of weaker housing markets in counties with a large data center presence,” Yun added. “But these are county-level numbers, and they can’t tell us what happens to an individual home next to a facility. That’s why local knowledge and credible data matter so much right now.”

NAR does not currently have an official policy position on data centers. This research is intended to help NAR better understand their potential impacts on housing, commercial real estate, local economies, and communities as the issue continues to evolve.

More Findings from the Report

  • The 10 counties with the most data centers hold about 42% of all facilities nationwide, with Loudoun County alone accounting for 14% of all data centers.
  • Median household income is about $89,000 in counties with 10 or more data centers, versus $64,000 in counties without.
  • About 41% of adults in counties with 10 or more data centers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 22% elsewhere.
  • Employment grew about 16% from 2014 to 2024 in counties with 10 or more data centers, versus 2% in counties without.
  • Residential electricity rates rose 21.4% from 2020 to 2024 in counties with 10 or more data centers, compared with 15.7% in counties without.
  • Real estate firms make up about 6.4% of businesses in counties with 10 or more data centers, versus 4.9% in counties with none.

About the National Association of REALTORS®
The National Association of REALTORS® is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes—from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation—visit facts.realtor.

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Information about NAR is available at nar.realtor. This and other news releases are posted in the newsroom at nar.realtor/newsroom. Statistical data in this release, as well as other tables and surveys, are posted in the “Research and Statistics” tab. 


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