---
title: "US data center construction spending hits record $85B annual rate"
url: https://www.parallelquant.com/posts/us-data-center-construction-spending-hits-record-85b-annual-rate-0a1ba2
source_name: "Tom's Hardware"
source_url: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/spending-on-u-s-data-center-buildings-hits-record-usd85-billion-annual-pace-up-73-percent-in-a-year-and-census-doesnt-count-the-servers-and-racks-inside
published: 2026-10-06T12:00:00.000Z
topics: ["chips", "policy"]
publisher: "Parallel Quant"
---

# US data center construction spending hits record $85B annual rate

*2026-10-06 · Source: [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/spending-on-u-s-data-center-buildings-hits-record-usd85-billion-annual-pace-up-73-percent-in-a-year-and-census-doesnt-count-the-servers-and-racks-inside)*

Census Bureau data shows U.S. data center construction spending reached a record $85 billion annual rate in August. That is up 73% from a year earlier.

**Why it matters:** A 73% annual jump shows AI infrastructure spending still accelerating. It adds to the power and grid strain behind the stalled Ratepayer Protection Act, and makes the cost of data center power a growing political issue.

**Topics:** chips, policy

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Read the original: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/spending-on-u-s-data-center-buildings-hits-record-usd85-billion-annual-pace-up-73-percent-in-a-year-and-census-doesnt-count-the-servers-and-racks-inside
Canonical: https://www.parallelquant.com/posts/us-data-center-construction-spending-hits-record-85b-annual-rate-0a1ba2
Published by Parallel Quant — https://www.parallelquant.com