One Mid-Sized Data Center Delivers Nearly $700 Million in Output

A single mid-sized data center generates nearly $700 million in state GDP and supports more than 5,200 jobs per year during its two-year construction phase. That's the headline number from a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce report, released in Washington, D.C., that puts hard figures on what data centers actually return to the communities hosting them.

The study, built on the REMI PI+ structural economic model — the same tool state governments and independent economists use to forecast fiscal impacts — looked beyond the fence line of the facilities themselves.

"The analysis shows that the economic impact of a data center extends far beyond the facility itself," said Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Construction supports thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, while ongoing operations create long-term benefits through wages, business spending, and tax revenue."

What does a data center pay back over 20 years?

The construction phase is the loud part. Operations are the durable part. A typical 50-megawatt data center supports 740 jobs per year statewide across a 20-year operational life, according to the report.

That same facility keeps 750 additional workers engaged in the state labor force and generates $125 million in state personal income annually. Spread over two decades, that's roughly $2.5 billion in personal income from one mid-sized site.

Wages are the other sticking point for local officials doing the math. The industry pays salaries that average $119,000 — above the national average. For a county weighing a zoning decision, that gap compounds with every hire.

Where's the local tax money?

The report modeled five-year local tax revenue for a mid-sized facility in specific counties, and the numbers are not trivial:

• Dallas County, Texas: $174 million over five years
• Prince William County, Virginia: $114 million
• Fulton County, Georgia: $111 million
• Franklin County, Ohio: $96 million

Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, framed the payoff in terms local leaders actually budget against. "Communities that welcome data centers benefit long after construction ends through good-paying careers, new opportunities for local businesses, and revenue that helps support schools, roads, parks, and other local priorities," Bradley said.

What does this change for practitioners?

If you're an economic development officer, site selector, or municipal finance analyst, this report gives you a defensible baseline for incentive negotiations. The REMI PI+ methodology means the figures carry the same analytical weight state budget offices use — you can put them in a pro forma without an asterisk.

It also reframes the pitch. The $700 million construction-phase number gets the attention, but the $125 million in annual personal income and the $96–174 million in five-year county tax revenue are what survive the ribbon-cutting.

With counties from Texas to Virginia now competing for hyperscale builds, expect these figures to anchor the next round of tax abatement debates — on both sides of the table.