69% of Americans oppose local AI data centers in 2026 poll — Trump blasts blocking communities on Truth Social for choosing poverty over server farms, throwing off 'tremendous amounts of money'

From rural counties to major cities, Americans are pushing back against AI data centers

by · TechRadar

News By Efosa Udinmwen Published 8 September 2026 2 min read

(Image credit: Microsoft)

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  • 69% of Americans oppose AI data centers near their communities, a national poll finds
  • Public support for nearby AI data centers has fallen sharply since 2025
  • Only 4% strongly support new data centers in their communities today

American resistance to AI data centers has intensified sharply over the past year, several national surveys released in 2026 have found.

A new Decision Desk poll conducted by SurveyMonkey found that over two-thirds (69%) of respondents oppose construction of these facilities near their homes.

Nearly half of those surveyed (45%) said they would strongly oppose a data center built anywhere close to their own neighborhood.

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Data centers do not have widespread American public support

Separate research from Heatmap Pro, carried out by Embold Research in mid-August 2026, points to an even sharper decline in public backing, as its poll of 2,045 registered voters found 75% opposed building a facility near their community.

Only 4% of respondents said they would strongly support a proposed data center in their area, a drop from 13% recorded a year earlier.

Resistance now cuts across age, income, party affiliation, and the split between rural and urban communities nationwide.

Republicans remain 43 percentage points net negative on the issue, independents sit at 65 points negative, and Democrats register 75 points negative.

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