U.S. data center construction spending reaches a record $84.95 billion pace

Data center buildouts now make up most private office construction, showing how far spending has shifted toward AI-era infrastructure.

U.S. private data center construction spending has surged to an annual pace of $84.95 billion, a record that puts it far ahead of traditional office construction and shows how heavily the buildout economy is relying on AI-era infrastructure. The Census Bureau’s August data put data center spending up more than 73% year over year, while general office construction fell to $45.8 billion, leaving a $39.1 billion gap that is the widest in the series since 2014. Data centers now account for about 63% of private office construction, versus 47% a year earlier, and they have exceeded general office spending every month since Sept. 2025. The report excludes racks and servers, so it captures only part of the total investment tied to AI demand, with the next Census release expected on Nov. 2.