AI data center construction is transforming the U.S. rural land market and sparking a strong backlash. In the first half of 2026, land purchases for future data centers in the U.S. reached approximately $6 billion, a 79% year-over-year increase, accounting for 27% of all developed parcels. This has led to soaring rural land prices; for example, land costs in Northern Virginia and the Northeast exceeded $8 million per acre last year, and a developer in Loudoun County offered $4.4 million per acre, significantly higher than the 2025 median of $125,000.
Residents are concerned that data center construction will deplete water and energy resources and drive up electricity prices. According to reports monitoring the PJM market, the growth in data center load is a primary cause of high prices in the electricity capacity market, projected to increase capacity market revenues by $23.1 billion by 2028. Public figures such as the Texas Agriculture Commissioner and Pennsylvania farmers have openly expressed concerns about land grabbing and resource strain.