Two-Thirds of U.S. Counties Remain Open to Data Centers, Learnewable Finds

Learnewable’s September nationwide analysis finds public sentiment toward data centers is still broadly favorable across U.S. counties, even as zoning and permitting rules tighten in many places. The gap between community openness and local restrictions is reshaping where new AI infrastructure can get built.

Why it matters: - Data centers are a core part of the AI buildout, and local approval now depends less on broad public hostility than on zoning, permitting and other rules. - The analysis suggests developers may face more friction from local policy than from residents in many counties. - Communities may support the economic upside of data centers while still demanding tighter controls on where projects go and what they must do.

What happened: - Learnewable’s September analysis reviewed all 3,144 U.S. counties and county equivalents. - About two-thirds of U.S. counties lean favorable in public sentiment toward data center development. - Only 42 counties, or 1.3% of the country, rate favorable overall for data center development. - About three-quarters of counties are neutral overall. - 22% of counties are unfavorable overall.

The details: - Learnewable evaluates data center feasibility using three factors: community sentiment, local regulatory conditions including zoning and permitting, and the history of previous projects. - Community sentiment contributes positively to data center feasibility in every region of the country. - Local zoning and permitting conditions contribute negatively to feasibility in every region. - Learnewable found 363 counties where favorable community sentiment exists alongside restrictive zoning. - The analysis shows the national debate is not always a straight fight between developers and angry communities. - The number of counties with an outright data center prohibition or moratorium fell from 501 in July to 332 in September. - Counties with restrictive zoning short of an outright ban nearly doubled, from 324 to 636. - In total, 968 counties, or 31% of the country, now have some form of regulatory headwind affecting data center development, up from 825 in July. - Regulatory pressure appears to be shifting from outright bans to more detailed limits on where data centers can be built, under what conditions, and what developers must do to win approval.

Between the lines: - The analysis points to a more nuanced political landscape than a simple pro- or anti-data-center divide. - A county can be open to data centers in principle while still imposing rules that make projects harder to site and permit. - Another county can legally allow data centers while local residents oppose a specific proposal. - The shift matters as AI infrastructure expands and competition for electricity, water and land intensifies.

What's next: - No region of the country is currently favorable overall. - The West comes closest, followed by the South, Midwest and Northeast. - Only 14 states have positive average county scores. - Rhode Island and West Virginia lead at +0.36, followed by Mississippi (+0.32), Idaho (+0.26) and Connecticut (+0.22). - A favorable pocket stretches across Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. - Some of the toughest conditions are in New York, Maryland, Florida, New Jersey, Indiana and Ohio.

The bottom line: - The biggest hurdle for new data centers may be local rules, not public sentiment.