New Census data show private data-center construction reached a $50.7 billion seasonally adjusted annual rate in April 2026, up roughly 27% year over year and surpassing general private office construction, which sat near $43.8 billion. Data centers now account for about half of the private 'office' construction category the Census recently began tracking separately.
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US data-center construction hits $50.7B rate, passing office building spend
Why this matters for founders
Hardware, AI-infra, and proptech founders can expect cheaper, repurposable office space in many metros while power, land, and cooling near data-center corridors get scarce and pricey; factor both into siting and leasing.
Source: Data Center Knowledge
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