Dossier
rural counties
Coverage of rural counties in the Nexus archive.
- We Mapped Rural Data Center Development – and Opposition. Here’s What We Found.
The data center boom, driven by AI infrastructure needs, is shifting from urban areas like Northern Virginia (Data Center Alley) to rural counties in the U.S. Rural communities face challenges negotiating deals with developers due to smaller tax bases and fewer resources, while 12% of in-progress data center projects are in rural areas as of June 2026.