Residents of Statesboro Place in Loudoun County, Virginia, say the construction and operation of nearby data centres have replaced a quiet suburban setting with industrial buildings and a persistent mechanical hum. Their experience highlights the local costs of the AI infrastructure boom, as communities weigh data centre growth against noise, changing views and residents’ sense that they were not adequately consulted.

The facilities are operated by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft; residents say two are active and two more are planned to open next spring. Loudoun County had more than 230 data centres built or under construction as of March 2026, with 116 further projects in the pipeline. The county says the industry generated $1.2 billion in tax revenue in fiscal 2026, or 39% of its budget, and expects $1.3 billion in 2027; meanwhile, one homeowner’s annual property tax bill rose from $17,391 in 2021 to about $22,250 in 2026.