Map Shows States Where Data Centers Are Being Built the Most, Least

Data from the Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting, which tracks artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure across the United States, shows a sharply uneven pattern in where data centers are being built, with a small group of states dominating construction while others are seeing little to no activity.

There are 67 major data centers currently under construction nationwide, alongside 33 operational sites and 39 proposed projects. The figures reveal a clear ranking of where development is most concentrated-and where it is falling behind.

What the Map Shows

Taken together, the data underscores a widening divide in the U.S. digital infrastructure landscape. A relatively small number of states are emerging as dominant hubs for data center construction, while others are seeing little investment at all.

At the same time, the pace of development, reflected in the 67 projects currently under construction, suggests this imbalance is likely to persist as demand for AI infrastructure grows.

As the map illustrates, the question isn't just how many data centers are being built, but where they're being built, and who is most affected by their rapid expansion.

Top States: Where Data Center Construction Is Concentrated

The highest levels of development are clustered in a handful of states, including:

• Texas
• Illinois
• Pennsylvania
• Ohio

These states stand out as the most active locations for new builds, with multiple projects underway or planned, forming regional clusters of AI infrastructure.

Texas, in particular, leads by a significant margin in overall activity, with hundreds of "community-reported" sites associated with either operational or developing facilities, far exceeding those of other states.

According to Visual Capitalist, development is particularly strong in areas offering:

• Large areas of land for large-scale campuses
• Access to power and grid capacity
• Fewer regulatory barriers compared to older tech hubs

Together, these factors have turned parts of the South and Midwest into the fastest-growing regions for AI infrastructure.

Mid-Tier States: Steady But Smaller Buildout

A second tier of states shows meaningful-but notably smaller-activity. These typically include a mix of established and emerging markets where projects are present but not dominant.

States in this category generally have:

• Multiple sites in development
• A growing but less concentrated footprint
• Select large-scale projects rather than dense clusters

While not leading nationally, these states are increasingly part of the expanding data center network, often benefiting from spillover as developers look beyond saturated markets.

Lowest-Ranked States: Where Little or No Construction Is Happening

At the other end of the spectrum, several states have little to no data center development underway. At the bottom of the rankings are states with minimal data center construction. States such as Alaska, Vermont, and parts of the rural Northeast have minimal or no infrastructure.

The map highlights that the buildout is far from nationwide, with many states showing few projects under construction.

These lower-ranked states tend to share several characteristics, according to Visual Capitalist:

• Limited large-scale power infrastructure
• Less connectivity to major fiber networks
• Fewer economic incentives for hyperscale development

A Widening Gap in the AI Infrastructure Race

The map and accompanying data from Brockovich AI Data Center Reporting show how uneven the data center boom has become.

While a small number of states dominate-with Texas and a few others accounting for a large share of activity-much of the country remains on the sidelines. The 67 projects currently under construction are heavily concentrated in these leading regions, reinforcing an existing imbalance rather than spreading development evenly nationwide.

Why The Divide Is Growing

The map also highlights how uneven development is being reinforced over time.

Brockovich describes the expansion as a "race" playing out "town by town across America," where projects are welcomed in some areas but "delayed, contested or abandoned altogether" in others.

Community concerns, ranging from energy use and water consumption to land impacts, are frequently tied to whether projects move forward.

At the same time, demand for AI infrastructure continues to push development toward states with lower costs, fewer restrictions, and more available land-further concentrating activity in already dominant regions.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM.