National Association of Realtors는 데이터 센터가 주택과 지역 경제에 미치는 영향이 상당히 다양하다는 점을 발견했다

Data centers are highly concentrated geographically across the United States. While they exist across much of the country, 92 percent of U.S. counties have no mapped data centers, and only 1 percent have 10 or more. The largest clusters are in Northern Virginia, where Loudoun and Prince William counties alone account for about 19 percent of all mapped data centers nationwide. Other major clusters include Silicon Valley with 5 percent, central Ohio including Franklin and Licking counties with 5 percent, the Phoenix area with 4 percent, and central Washington with 4 percent. The 10 counties with the most data centers hold about 42 percent of all facilities nationwide, with Loudoun County alone accounting for 14 percent.

Counties with higher concentrations of data centers generally show higher home values, higher incomes, and stronger long-term job growth. The median home value in counties without data centers is 174,500 dollars. In counties with 10 or more data centers, the median home value is 431,750 dollars. Home values in those high-concentration counties grew 95 percent over the past decade, compared with 64 percent in counties without data centers. Median household income is about 89,000 dollars in counties with 10 or more data centers, versus 64,000 dollars in counties without. About 41 percent of adults in counties with 10 or more data centers hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 22 percent elsewhere. Employment grew about 16 percent from 2014 to 2024 in counties with 10 or more data centers, versus only 2 percent in counties without.

However, the report cautions that correlation is not causation. According to Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist, these counties were already high-income, highly educated technology hubs before the recent surge in new data center facilities. Yun stated, "There is no single data center effect. Instead, the story varies significantly depending on the local market. The number of data centers alone does not tell us what will happen to home values, jobs or utility costs." He added, "We do not see evidence of weaker housing markets in counties with a large data center presence. But these are county-level numbers, and they can't tell us what happens to an individual home next to a facility. That's why local knowledge and credible data matter so much right now."

A survey of real estate agents found mixed perceptions about residential impacts. Among respondents, 38 percent reported a data center already in place or in development in their market. Perceptions of residential impact were divided, with 25 percent seeing a positive effect on nearby home values and 22 percent reporting a negative one. The commercial picture was more clearly positive, with 50 percent reporting increased nearby commercial property values and 42 percent reporting increased demand for nearby commercial space, particularly industrial properties and land.

Realtors pointed to real client concerns about data centers, led by energy costs, cited by 61 percent, and water use, cited by 56 percent. Residential electricity rates rose 21.4 percent from 2020 to 2024 in counties with 10 or more data centers, compared with 15.7 percent in counties without. Real estate firms make up about 6.4 percent of businesses in counties with 10 or more data centers, versus 4.9 percent in counties with none.

The National Association of Realtors does not currently have an official policy position on data centers. The research is intended to help the organization better understand their potential impacts on housing, commercial real estate, local economies, and communities as the issue continues to evolve.