Dallas-Fort Worth data center market to double by 2026
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Texas is a leader in data center employment, with the second highest number of jobs nationwide, new data shows.
Why it matters: Companies, investors and the government are pouring millions of dollars into data centers to help power AI and other next-gen tech.
- Texas saw a 38% increase in data center jobs from 2018 to 2024.
Zoom in: Travis, Dallas, Collin, Harris and Bexar counties accounted for nearly 76% of the state's total data center employment in the second quarter of 2024.
- Based on projects under construction, the Dallas-Fort Worth data center market will double by the end of 2026, per a recent CBRE report.
Zoom out: D-FW's hold on the data center market is slipping. The region was second to Northern Virginia in market share in 2022.
- Now Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix have surpassed D-FW's market share, according to CBRE.
The big picture: California, Texas, Florida, New York and Georgia collectively make up more than 40% of U.S. data center employment, per the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Workforce Indicators.
- At 17%, California has the highest share in the nation, followed by Texas, with 10% (47,856 jobs).
Between the lines: There's debate over how many jobs data centers actually create and whether they're worth the energy required to run them.
- The Electric Reliability Council of Texas forecasts that electricity demand from major users like data centers will jump nearly 60% from 2024 to 2025.
The intrigue: Microsoft is addressing its environmental impact.
- The tech giant recently signed a 25-year deal with Chestnut Carbon to restore 60,000 acres in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana by planting over 35 million trees to offset its carbon emissions.