AI data centers are overtaking apartment buildings as the development Americans least want next door. According to a survey commissioned by Redfin, nearly half of U.S. residents oppose the construction of an AI data center in their neighborhood, while 38% support it.
A study commissioned by Redfin found that the last development Americans want next to is an AI data center next to an apartment building.
According to a November 2025 Ipsos survey, nearly half (47%) of U.S. residents oppose the construction of an AI (artificial intelligence) data center in their neighborhood, while 38% support it. The survey was conducted among 4,000 U.S. residents and has a confidence interval of +/-1.9 percentage points.
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Opposition to data centers exceeds resistance to other types of development. Just 37 percent of respondents oppose new apartment buildings in their neighborhood, and 31 percent oppose new mixed-use development. Opposition to the conversion of single-family homes to multifamily housing, a flash point in the national housing debate, came closest to opposition to data centers, at 46%.
There are more than 3,000 AI data centers in the United States, and thousands more in development as demand for AI increases. The investigation found that concerns about electricity and water consumption, noise and environmental impact were some of the motivations for the opposition. Roughly three in five respondents to the same survey said they believe AI will eliminate jobs.
Data centers could also generate economic benefits, including jobs in the IT and security fields, local construction jobs, and investments in energy and water infrastructure, according to a report cited in Redfin’s analysis.
Generational and political divides
Young Americans are more likely to support neighborhood data centers. Fifty percent of Millennials and 48% of Gen Z say they support building nearby data centers, compared to 38% of Gen X and 22% of Baby Boomers.
Political affiliation also changes depending on opinion. About half of Republicans, 49%, support building an AI data center in their neighborhood, compared to 36% of Democrats.
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