A new Redfin survey finds most Americans oppose nearby AI data centers, even as Virginia's data-hub counties report a school funding windfall
More than half of Americans say they don't want an artificial intelligence (AI) data center built near their home, and that conviction is now following buyers into the property search.
A Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos in May 2026, fielded to 4,000 US residents, found that 53% oppose the construction of an AI data center in their neighborhood, while just 34% support it, Redfin reported.
Thirty-nine percent oppose a new apartment complex, 32% oppose a mixed-use project, and 48% oppose converting single-family homes into smaller dwellings.
New York recently enacted a statewide ban on new large data centers, reflecting how politically charged the issue has become.
The resistance runs deeper than noise and aesthetics. Nearly three in five (58%) US residents believe that AI advances will eliminate jobs and make it harder to afford a home, according to the same Redfin-Ipsos survey.
Consumer confidence in AI has already fallen sharply among homebuyers, dropping from 30% in 2025 to 16% in 2026, and that anxiety is now shaping where people choose to purchase.
For mortgage brokers, the implications are concrete. Agents in Northern Virginia are fielding buyer requests to verify whether data centers are planned near homes under consideration.
One buyer asked a Redfin agent for that assurance before making an offer; another said they likely would have chosen a different neighborhood had they known the extent of nearby facilities, Redfin reported.
House hunters are flagging noise, traffic, and the strain on local power and water grids as deal-limiting concerns.
AI data centers are already pressuring US housing pipelines through grid congestion and higher utility costs, and that pressure is now entering individual purchase decisions.
New J.D. Power research shows more than 40% of recent HELOC borrowers used AI to help guide their decision. Bruce Gehrke says that level of adoption signals a major shift lenders and brokers can no longer ignore.https://t.co/Gw3uNBCLHk
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) July 17, 2026
The tax windfall hiding in the opposition numbers
A separate Redfin analysis of county financial records in Northern Virginia offers a counterintuitive case for data-center-adjacent neighborhoods. Loudoun County, home to 176 data centers, more than twice the count of any other US county, saw personal property tax revenue rise 639% from 2010 to 2025, Redfin found.
Prince William County, ranked third nationally with 77 facilities, posted a 349% increase; neighboring Fairfax County, with fewer data centers, recorded 91% growth over the same period.
That tax base has driven a surge in school funding. Loudoun County increased per-resident education spending 77% to $2,955 over 15 years; Prince William raised it 82% to $1,589.
Stafford County, with one operational data center, posted a 29% increase to $1,024.
Impact of AI data centers on education spending — Northern Virginia
Loudoun County
176
data centers #1 in US
$2,955 /resident (2025)
Prince William Co.
77
data centers #3 in US
$1,589 /resident (2025)
Fairfax County
45
data centers #5 in US
$2,234 /resident (2025)
Stafford County
1
data center
$1,024 /resident (2025)
| Metric | Loudoun Co. | Prince William Co. | Fairfax Co. | Stafford Co. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data centers | 176 Most in US |
77 3rd in US |
45 5th in US |
1 |
| Personal property tax revenue increase (2010–2025) | +639% | +349% | +91% | N/A |
| Education spending per resident increase (2010–2025) | +77% | +82% | +49% | +29% |
| Education spending per resident (2025) | $2,955 | $1,589 | $2,234 | $1,024 |
Source: Redfin analysis of county financial records, 2010–2025. Stafford County personal property tax revenue data not available. All links open in a new tab.
Meanwhile, residential property-tax rates have moved in the opposite direction: Prince William cut its rate from $1.12 per $100 of assessed value in 2022 to $0.92 in 2025; Loudoun trimmed its rate from 0.89% to 0.81%.
"Loudoun County's expanding data-center tax base has given local officials more capacity to invest in schools, including higher education spending and teacher compensation, without upping tax rates on homeowners," said Yingqi Xu, senior economist at Redfin.
"Surging data-center revenue allows counties to rely less heavily on homeowners to fund education, though it's important to note that a surge in data-center revenue doesn't automatically translate dollar-for-dollar to public spending."
What the generational divide means for broker conversations
Age shapes the picture considerably. Roughly two-thirds (65%) of baby boomers and 60% of Gen Xers oppose nearby data center construction, compared with 42% of Gen Zers and 43% of millennials, Redfin found.
Brokers serving older clients in active data-center markets may find the issue surfacing earlier in buyer conversations than it did even 12 months ago.
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