AI Data Center Boom Drives $6 Billion U.S. Land Rush in First Half of 2026

According to CNBC, land purchases in the U.S. for future data centers reached about $6 billion in the first half of 2026, up 79% from last year, as artificial intelligence infrastructure fuels a commercial land rush across rural America. Avison Young said data centers accounted for 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year, while CBRE said site costs in Northern Virginia and the Northeast topped $8 million per acre last year. The article said the boom is drawing pushback from residents and farmers worried about water, power and the loss of farmland, while Wall Street firms including Mizuho, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley have flagged local opposition and state moratoriums as risks to future growth and stock values.