Tech companies used to call Northern Virginia (NoVA) “the data center capital of the world.” Today, one could say there are a few data center capitals — and with AI spurring a new infrastructure boom, there could soon be even more. Despite representing half a percent of US jobs, where the cranes of the AI boom go up could offer clues as to which labor and housing markets will continue to benefit from tech affluence.

• According to the Census Bureau, employment in US data centers grew 60% from 2016 to 2023, with 27% of these IT jobs concentrated in California and Texas.
• From 2018 to 2024, California and Texas added 125K IT jobs, followed by Florida (+29K), New York (+27K), Georgia (+24K), Washington (+23K), and Pennsylvania (+13K).

AI, worldwide: Although their additions are small by comparison, even states like Arkansas, South Dakota, Louisiana, and Idaho have doubled their data center employment, according to Axios. That’s no surprise, considering tech firms are looking to build new facilities on cheap land, ideally with affordable access to water and electricity.

Open the Stargate: And beyond IT jobs, where there are cranes, there is opportunity — just ask OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank. Their new Stargate project promises 100K jobs in Texas, mostly construction roles, to build the first of ten data centers. Still, there’s no guarantee that once the data domiciles are built, they’ll maintain the rapid employment growth the sector has seen in recent years. After all, the AI is coming for our jobs, right?