Data Centers and Housing: What the Report Shows | Salt Lake City News

Data centers are reshaping housing and commercial real estate—but it’s not all good news. A new NAR report reveals counties with heavy data center presence, like Northern Virginia and Silicon Valley, boast higher home values and job growth, but those areas were already thriving before the tech hubs arrived. While 90% of U.S. counties have none, those with ten or more data centers see median home prices nearly double—though causation isn’t proven. Realtors are split: 25% say data centers boost home values, 22% say they hurt, citing rising energy costs and water use. Residential electricity rates jumped over 21% in data-heavy counties versus 15.5% elsewhere from 2020 to 2024. Commercial real estate, however, is booming—with half of Realtors reporting higher property values and 40% noting increased demand for office space. Experts agree data centers fuel growth in support services, but challenges loom: power shortages and worker competition are emerging as critical hurdles for communities and businesses alike. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3ecaed2555c79fdd