Poll Finds More Americans Oppose Than Favor Local Data Centers by Two to One

A new CBS News/YouGov poll found that by more than two to one, more Americans oppose than favor building a new data center in their area. The survey of 2,023 U.S. adults conducted June 2-4, 2026, showed that only 16 percent said they know a lot about data centers.

Majorities said data centers are mostly bad for the environment, for resources such as water and electricity, and for local energy or utility costs. Slightly more respondents viewed data centers as good rather than bad for the local economy and for tax revenue. Half of Americans said data centers would boost jobs in the short term where they are built, but far fewer expected long-term job gains.

Sizable shares said they were not sure about the local impacts. The country is divided on whether more data centers are needed for the U.S. to stay competitive in technology and AI. More Republicans than Democrats said the facilities are necessary for competitiveness, though many in both parties opposed having one nearby.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points and was weighted to match U.S. Census data on gender, age, race, education, and 2024 presidential vote.