70% of U.S. registered voters oppose building data centers in their area to support artificial intelligence, per a Fox News nationwide poll conducted July 17-20, 2026. That 70-vs.-30 split produces the headline figure: a 40-point opposition margin. The survey of 1,003 registered voters, run by Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), carries a sampling error of ±3 percentage points.
Where the opposition comes from
Half of opponents (50%) name environmental issues as their primary concern: energy and water use, pollution, noise, and overall environmental impact. Quality-of-life concerns rank second at 14%, followed by economic effects (11%) and a negative view of AI itself (11%). The environment argument, at 50%, outweighs the other three objections combined.
Who favors them, and why
Among the 30% who support local data centers, 60% point to economic benefits: jobs, economic growth, community investment, and tax revenue. Another 21% cite technological necessity. Only 2% name global competitiveness with China as their primary reason, suggesting the national-security frame does little to move the public.
The groups most favorable to data centers are MAGA supporters (46% in favor) and Republican men (45%). The most opposed are White women with a college degree (84% oppose) and liberal voters (80% oppose).
Pace of construction: slow beats fast, 8 to 2
Nearly 8 in 10 voters prefer slower construction that addresses environmental and community concerns. About 2 in 10 favor building as quickly as possible to maintain competitive advantage over China. Even within the most expansion-friendly cohorts, the rapid-build number stays below 40%: MAGA Republicans at 36%, very conservatives at 35%.
AI favorability: less negative, still negative
Overall, 45% view artificial intelligence favorably versus 54% unfavorably, a net of -9 points. That is a 2-point improvement from April's -11. Groups above the 45% baseline: MAGA Republicans (55%), graduate degree holders (52%), conservatives (50%), men (49%). Below it: Democrats (41%), those without a college degree (43%), women (40%), liberals (37%).
Younger voters do not fit the tech-friendly assumption. Those under 30 hold the lowest AI favorability in the poll at 38%, below the 30-44 cohort (48%) and those 45 and over (44%). Across all three age groups, roughly 7 in 10 oppose local data centers and roughly 8 in 10 prefer slower construction, a consistency the survey's crosstabs flag explicitly as holding regardless of generational differences.