Many other complaints rest on resident readings that operators dispute with their own studies.

The main technical dispute is over measurement. Loudoun County, Virginia says its own dBA standard "generally do[es] not capture low frequency noise," and that is the hum most neighbors describe¹.

Several 2026 lawsuits make the same argument.

• The main sources are rooftop and yard cooling equipment (fan arrays, chillers, cooling towers), substation transformers that hum at 60 and 120 hertz (Hz), and diesel backup generators run for testing about one hour a week^1,2.

• Typical measured levels at the fence line run about 40 to 65 dBA. Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) measured 40 to 59 dB at sites that had drawn complaints^27,28.

• A-weighting discounts low frequencies by about 39 dB at 31.5 Hz. Loudoun County says its 55 dBA limit misses tonal and low-frequency noise, and plans rule changes in 2027^1,9.

• Government findings against operators exist in Chicago (2020 fine), Chandler, Arizona (city letter, then a 2023 ordinance), and Cumberland County, New Jersey (2026 Notice of Violation)^10,12,13,48.

• At least six noise lawsuits were filed against data center or crypto-mining operators in 2026, including one against Microsoft in Wisconsin. None had produced a merits ruling as of WilmerHale's July 2026 review^44,45.

• Property value studies disagree. A George Mason University (GMU) study of 2023 Northern Virginia sales found no negative effect, while two unpublished working papers estimate drops of about 7% within a mile. None isolates noise from other factors^37,38,41.

• Operators have spent heavily on fixes after complaints: Vantage says $15 million in Sterling, Virginia, and CyrusOne about $2 million in Chandler. Residents in both places said the noise continued^5,33.

• Liquid cooling quiets the server hall, but heat still leaves through outdoor fans and coolers. No independent study comparing outdoor noise from air-cooled and liquid-cooled sites turned up²⁵.

The Chandler city manager wrote CyrusOne's chief executive saying the company was likely violating local sound rules. Residents told reporters they heard little change after the chiller fix. No decibel readings from that period turned up in this research.

In Manassas, residents described sleep loss and migraines.

In Printers Row, both the condo association and Digital Realty ran separate sound studies. Both found the site exceeded legal levels¹³.

Crypto-mining sites use the same kind of fan cooling and have produced the harshest disputes. They are not conventional data centers, but courts and reporters often treat them together. This brief marks them where they appear.

Alex Odom, who leads data center work at the acoustics firm Acentech, lists the steady sources as air-cooled chillers with large fan arrays, cooling towers, air handlers, exhaust fans and transformers². Transformers produce a 60 Hz hum, plus 120 Hz vibration in U.S. systems from magnetostriction, the slight flexing of the steel core.

Diesel or gas generators add a low rumble. Loudoun County says most data centers test them for one hour a week, and also run them during grid outages or when PJM, the regional grid operator, asks¹.

Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality said it had no authority to stop emergency generator use during the July 2026 outage³².

Odom notes that a 63 Hz sound wave is about 18 feet long, so it bends around walls, and that at high levels it can rattle lightweight objects².

Building acoustics research finds that walls and windows block mid and high frequencies well but do less at 20 to 200 Hz. When a source has strong low-frequency content, the standard A-weighted average underestimates how disturbing it is indoors, especially during sleep²².

Prince William County Deputy County Executive Wade Hugh said low-frequency data center sound "can penetrate a home's windows"⁶².

Measured ground-borne vibration tied to a named data center and nearby homes did not turn up. Engineering guidance says chiller vibration can travel through rigid connections in a building and re-radiate as sound inside it²³. Reports from Denver and elsewhere describe a hum residents say they feel, but not measured vibration⁶¹.

C-weighting (dBC) and octave-band measurement, which reports levels in separate frequency bands, count low frequencies more fully than A-weighting.

Loudoun County's own page says dBA "generally do[es] not capture low frequency noise or the discomfort caused by steady tonal sounds," and that most complaints concern tonal noise¹. The county has no tonal or low-frequency rule and expects amendments in spring or summer 2027.

Data centers do not shut down at night, so there is no quiet period like the one most factories have after the day shift.

WHO's 1999 guidance warns that low-frequency content calls for lower limits. WHO has no data-center-specific guideline. Applying these numbers to data centers is the reasoning of commentators, not a WHO finding²¹.

Sound consultant Eric Zwerling, who directs Rutgers University's Noise Technical Assistance Center, compared 60 dB at 3 a.m. to an animated conversation at the foot of the bed⁵. Health complaints near data centers are self-reported. No peer-reviewed study linking a specific conventional data center to measured health effects turned up.

A source producing 55 dBA at the property line sits 25 to 30 dB above a rural background but only 10 to 20 dB above a suburban one.

That gap helps explain why Coweta County, Georgia and Chandler set limits relative to existing ambient sound instead of a fixed number^10,18. No study comparing reactions to the same facility in rural and suburban settings turned up.

Direct-to-chip liquid cooling and immersion cooling cut or remove server fans, which quiets the inside of the building. Fujitsu, a vendor, says immersion removes the need for server fans and room air conditioning²⁶.

The heat still has to leave the site through dry coolers, condensers or cooling towers, which use outdoor fans. The design firm Bryden Wood says liquid cooling can allow warmer water loops and fewer chillers, which may cut chiller noise²⁵.

Marathon pledged immersion cooling at its Texas crypto mine as a noise fix⁴⁹. No independent before-and-after measurement turned up.

Who decides

Counties and cities decide where data centers go and set noise limits. Whether a project gets a public hearing depends on how local zoning classifies it.

Loudoun County ended by-right data center approval on March 18, 2025, so each project now needs a special exception with public hearings¹⁷. Fairfax County adopted rules on September 10, 2024 requiring data center buildings to sit at least 200 feet from homes and generators at least 300 feet away, with equipment enclosed or screened^15,16.

Chandler allows data centers only in planned area development zoning¹⁰. In Texas, an Angelina County judge said the county has no power to stop development, reflecting Texas counties' limited zoning authority⁶⁰. In Ohio, township powers vary widely, and Vienna Township is considering decibel and megawatt caps⁵⁸.

Limits on the books

• Loudoun County, Virginia: 55 dBA at a residential property line, with pre-construction and post-construction noise studies required¹.
• Prince William County, Virginia (older ordinance): 60 dB day and 55 dB night in residential areas, with air conditioning exempt until supervisors voted to remove the nighttime exemption on February 28, 2023^3,4.
• Prince William County (late 2025): C-weighted limits of 73 dB day and 68 dB night, adopted 5-2⁶.
• Chandler, Arizona: no fixed cap; noise may not exceed a pre-construction baseline, with annual studies for five years¹⁰.
• Warrenton, Virginia: up to 62 dB day and 57 dB night by frequency band⁴.
• Niagara Falls, New York: 50 dB day and 45 dB night for data centers and bitcoin mines, from September 2022⁴.
• Coweta County, Georgia: 5 dBA over ambient at night and 10 dBA over ambient by day^18,59.
• Dowagiac, Michigan: 65 dB day and 55 dB night in industrial zones⁴⁶.

The AI Now Institute, an advocacy group, also lists Phoenix and McPherson County, South Dakota at 55 dBA day and 45 dBA night, and Marana, Arizona at 55 dBA at all times¹⁸. These were not checked against the ordinances.

The Prince William fight over the rule

Prince William County formed a Data Center Ordinance Advisory Group (DCOAG) with consultants and Zwerling. It proposed limits in nine octave bands down to 31.5 Hz to catch low-frequency hum⁹.

The board disbanded the group in October 2025 and, later that month, adopted Supervisor Kenny Boddye's version 5-2. Chair Deshundra Jefferson and Supervisor Yesli Vega voted no^6,7. Former advisory members said the adopted version made the octave-band limits advisory and set looser limits than operators already meet^7,8. Industry representatives said the six-month start date was too short for the 18 to 24 months they need to engineer fixes⁶.

Readings compared with limits

• Great Oak, Prince William County, 2022: a resident measured 67.4 dB against a 60 dB daytime limit. Amazon said a third-party study found averages below 60 dB³. One is a spot reading and the other a multi-day average, so the two are not directly comparable.
• Printers Row, Chicago, 2020: upper-floor condo readings above 70 dB were reported against a 55 dB limit, while street level measured about 43 dB¹⁴. Both sides' studies found an exceedance¹³.
• Sterling, Virginia, July 2026: 60 dB at a property line during generator use, against a 55 dB nighttime limit³².
• Vineland, New Jersey, March 10, 2026: Cumberland County health inspectors found noise above 50 dB overnight and issued a Notice of Violation⁴⁸.
• Dowagiac, Michigan: the city fined Alliance Cloud Services. The company disputes the city's measurements and method⁴⁶.
• Virginia statewide, 2024: JLARC measured 40 to 59 dB at data centers that had drawn complaints²⁸.

State bills

South Dakota Senate Bill (SB) 127 in 2026 would have barred data centers within a mile of homes and capped continuous noise at 45 dB at the nearest home. It failed in the Senate State Affairs Committee, where opponents cited local control and economic development^55,56. A Vermont draft bill, H.727, proposes 42 dBA by day and 39 dBA at night, and no vote was confirmed⁵⁷.

No noise rules specific to data centers in Washington State or Oregon turned up.

Pre-approval studies

Chandler, Loudoun and Fairfax require noise studies before approval or occupancy^1,10,15. Chandler also requires results to go to residents before a neighborhood meeting. No state-level acoustic study requirement turned up, and no independent pre-approval study that later became evidence in a dispute.

WilmerHale, a law firm, counted a wave of 2026 nuisance suits and reported no merits ruling on noise in any of them⁴⁴. Status as reported:

• Valenzuela v. Alliance Cloud Services (federal court, Western District of Michigan, filed May 26, 2026): proposed class covering about 1,300 homes within a mile of a Dowagiac site that was formerly a bitcoin mine. Pending^44,47.
• Montgomery v. DataOne USA (federal court, New Jersey, filed late May 2026): about 1,013 homes in Vineland. WilmerHale reports it was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice on June 19^44,48.
• Microsoft, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin (federal court, June 2026): proposed class action alleging negligence and nuisance from a low hum. It argues municipal dBA monitors cannot detect the low-frequency noise. No ruling⁴⁵.
• Haley v. X.AI Corp. (federal court, Northern District of Mississippi, filed June 8, 2026): over 10,000 people, over gas turbines powering a Southaven data center. Pending⁴⁴.
• Demers v. Digi Power X (federal court, Western District of New York, April 2026): crypto-mining site. Pending⁴⁴.
• Murphy, North Carolina (PrimeBlock): proposed class of about 1,000 owners within two miles. Removed to federal court; no ruling found⁵³.

Older cases, mostly crypto mining

In Washington County, Tennessee, Chancellor John Rambo ruled on March 15, 2022 that the Red Dog Technologies bitcoin mine violated zoning law. The ruling rested on zoning, not measured noise, and an appeal was granted⁵².

In Hood County, Texas, Constable John Shirley issued 37 citations to Marathon (now MARA) through April 17, 2024 under a state law that presumes noise over 85 dB unreasonable after notice⁵¹. In July 2024 a jury acquitted site manager David Fischer on 12 charges. The county attorney said jurors found the noise unreasonable but could not tie it to Fischer personally⁴⁹.

Residents, represented by Earthjustice, then sued Marathon for private nuisance in October 2024⁵⁰. WilmerHale reports a motion to dismiss was denied and the case went to discovery⁴⁴.

In Prince William County, the Virginia Court of Appeals voided three rezonings for the Digital Gateway project on April 1, 2026. The court ruled on defective public notice, not noise⁵⁴.

Official findings versus allegations

Backed by a government finding or enforcement record: Chicago's 2020 fine, Chandler's city-manager letter, Cumberland County's 2026 violation notice, Dowagiac's fine, the Tennessee zoning ruling, and Prince William's 2023 repeal of its nighttime air-conditioning exemption^{4,12,13,46,48,52}.

Resident readings disputed by operator studies: Great Oak, Sterling, and Granbury, Texas^3,33,49.

Allegations without a ruling: the Michigan, Wisconsin, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas civil suits^44,45,53.

Operators and some engineers say public officials often confuse readings taken next to equipment with readings taken at homes. They say a useful noise figure must state location, distance, weighting, averaging period and which equipment was running^2,5.

Josh Levi, president of the Data Center Coalition trade group, told the Associated Press in 2022 that the industry needs to do more to explain its benefits and its lower-impact designs. The group did not answer questions about noise practices³⁵.

Residents and their lawyers say dBA limits let compliant sites still keep people awake, because the hum sits in frequencies A-weighting discounts. Loudoun County's own statement supports the technical point^1,45.

The founder of the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse told the Prince William Times that quieting data centers "isn't rocket science" and that the will to do it is what is missing⁵.

Former Prince William advisory members called the county's adopted rule weaker than what operators already achieve^7,8.

Findings on property values conflict, and none of the studies separates noise, traffic, power lines or views as distinct factors.

The GMU authors call their finding a correlation and note the region's housing shortage may be masking effects seen elsewhere³⁷.

Two working papers found drops instead: one estimates a 7.2% decline within a mile and 3% within three miles over five years, another a 6.8% decline fading by about 14 kilometers. Their authors and peer-review status were not confirmed^38,41.

NAR says its county-level value gap reflects higher incomes in those areas, not a data center effect³⁹.

Electricity and water ranked as the top concerns in the 2025 Embold poll. Neither Embold poll reported noise as a separate concern^42,43.

• JLARC's 40 to 59 dB measurements versus the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) summary saying Prince William data center noise "routinely" exceeds 60 dB. EESI attributes this to the same JLARC report^27,28. The primary report could not be read to settle it.
• Great Oak: a resident's 67.4 dB reading versus Amazon's study below 60 dB³.
• Sterling: Vantage says readings are at or below limits; neighbors dispute it³³.
• Granbury: residents' readings near 85 dB versus a defense that called the constable's readings inaccurate and politically motivated⁴⁹.
• Property values: GMU and NAR find no harm or a positive link, while working papers find drops of about 7% close by^37,39,41.
• Wisconsin suit filing date: Facilities Dive says early June 2026; Newsweek says July 1^45,46.

• Prince William County asked staff for a one-year report on its new ordinance by fall 2026. It was not found⁶.
• Results of Prince William's $11,000 independent noise study at Great Oak were not found⁵.
• No court has ruled on the merits of a noise claim against a conventional data center.
• No independent measurement compares outdoor noise from air-cooled and liquid-cooled campuses of similar size.
• No measured ground-borne vibration data at homes near a named data center turned up.
• No noise rules specific to data centers in Washington State turned up, which leaves open what standard would apply to a project there.

• AWS: Amazon Web Services
• dB: decibel
• dBA: A-weighted decibel, which discounts low frequencies
• dBC: C-weighted decibel, which counts low frequencies more fully
• DCOAG: Data Center Ordinance Advisory Group (Prince William County)
• DEQ: Department of Environmental Quality (Virginia)
• EESI: Environmental and Energy Study Institute
• FY: fiscal year
• GMU: George Mason University
• Hz: hertz, cycles per second
• JLARC: Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (Virginia)
• NAR: National Association of Realtors
• PJM: the regional grid operator for the mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest
• SB: Senate Bill
• WHO: World Health Organization

¹ Data Centers: Noise & Air Quality Concerns (Loudoun County). https://www.loudoun.gov/6405/Noise-Air-Quality-Concerns. Lean: primary. 55 dBA limit, required studies, generator testing, county says dBA misses low-frequency noise.

² Good noise neighbor: Data center design for community noise (Alex Odom, Acentech, BD+C). https://www.bdcnetwork.com/home/news/55341118/good-noise-neighbor-data-center-design-for-community-noise. Lean: center. Acoustic engineer on noise sources, low-frequency behavior and mitigation, Jan. 2026.

³ Residents turn up the volume on data center noise complaints (Prince William Times, 2022). https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/residents-turn-up-the-volume-on-data-center-noise-complaints/article_08a1c042-293b-11ed-8f1c-07644ca3f58b.html. Lean: center. Great Oak 67.4 dB reading, county limits, Amazon study and shrouds.

⁴ Some cities suffering from data center noise turn to tough limits (Prince William Times, 2023). https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/some-cities-suffering-from-data-center-noise-turn-to-tough-limits/article_2aa7fb8c-b6aa-11ed-8626-5738aae2f76c.html. Lean: center. Limits in Chandler, Niagara Falls, Warrenton, Prince William; 2023 exemption vote.

⁵ Why are data centers so noisy? (Prince William Times). https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/why-are-data-centers-so-noisy-loose-rules-pricey-solutions-critics-say/article_18113e2e-66b5-11ed-9e82-f3debf6366c2.html. Lean: center. Amazon and CyrusOne retrofits and costs, $11,000 county study, expert quotes.

⁶ Prince William supervisors greenlight new noise ordinance (InsideNoVa). https://www.insidenova.com/news/business/prince-william-supervisors-greenlight-new-noise-ordinance-for-businesses-data-centers/article_3892dce9-c7c1-42f0-a5a1-f0e185c30a7d.html. Lean: center. Late Oct. 2025 vote 5-2, C-weighted 73/68 dB limits, industry timing objection; partly via search summary.

⁷ Advisory group sounds off over noise ordinance (InsideNoVa). https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/a-straight-middle-finger-prince-william-data-center-advisory-group-sounds-off-over-noise-ordinance/article_ffadc0a1-9183-4391-8fe6-c7e5aab018cd.html. Lean: center. Advisory members' objections to the adopted rule.

⁸ Supervisors to expedite vote on weakened data center noise rule (Prince William Times). https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/supervisors-to-expedite-vote-on-weakened-data-center-noise-rule/article_8a753077-430b-42b3-a01e-5779c08c8ceb.html. Lean: center. Octave-band limits made advisory.

⁹ The thousand dollar line (Virginia Mercury). https://virginiamercury.com/2026/08/25/the-thousand-dollar-line/. Lean: lean-left. Octave-band proposal, 39 dB A-weighting discount at 31.5 Hz; read via search summary only.

¹⁰ Chandler's data center ordinance now in effect (City of Chandler). https://www.chandleraz.gov/news-center/chandlers-data-center-ordinance-now-effect. Lean: primary. Baseline sound study, five years of annual studies, generator limits, PAD zoning.

¹¹ Loud hum consuming Chandler neighborhood (ABC15, 2019). https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/chandler/loud-hum-consuming-chandler-neighborhood. Lean: center. CyrusOne chiller modifications.

¹² CyrusOne forced to take action following noise complaints in Chandler (DatacenterDynamics). https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cyrusone-forced-to-take-action-following-noise-complaints-in-chandler-arizona/. Lean: center. City manager letter, attenuation schedule; read via search summary only.

¹³ Printers Row condo owners complain of humming noise (ABC7 Chicago). https://abc7chicago.com/printers-row-humming-noise-digital-realty-chicago-sound-ordinance/10901352/. Lean: center. 2020 studies by both sides, $300 fine, sound wall.

¹⁴ Chicago residents complain of noise from Digital Realty data center (DatacenterDynamics). https://datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/chicago-residents-complain-of-noise-from-digital-realty-data-center. Lean: center. Aercoustic survey figures; read via search summary only.

¹⁵ Board of Supervisors approve data center zoning amendment (Fairfax County). https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/board-supervisors-approve-new-data-center-zoning-ordinance-amendment. Lean: primary. Setbacks and noise study requirements; read via search summary.

¹⁶ Fairfax County approves updated zoning regulations (Holland & Knight). https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2024/09/fairfax-county-virginia-approves-updated-zoning-regulations. Lean: center. Law firm summary of setbacks and studies.

¹⁷ Loudoun County eliminates by-right data center development (Holland & Knight). https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/04/loudoun-county-virginia-eliminates-by-right-data-center-development. Lean: center. March 18, 2025 change; read via search summary.

¹⁸ Data center noise issue area (AI Now Institute). https://datacenters.ainowinstitute.org/issue-area/noise/. Lean: advocacy. Compilation of local limits; not checked against ordinances.

¹⁹ Night noise guidelines for Europe (WHO, 2009). https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289041737. Lean: primary. 40 dB night target, 55 dB interim.

²⁰ Guidelines for Community Noise (WHO, 1999). https://nonoise.org/library/whonoise/whonoise.htm. Lean: primary. 30 dB bedroom value; caution on low-frequency noise.

²¹ Environmental noise guidelines for the European Region (WHO, 2018). https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789289053563. Lean: primary. Source-specific levels; none for data centers.

²² Low-frequency noise indoors and A-weighting (University of Ferrara). https://sfera.unife.it/handle/11392/2373011. Lean: academic. A-weighted average underestimates low-frequency disturbance indoors.

²³ Good practices on control of noise from mechanical systems (Hong Kong EPD). https://noiseenm.epd.gov.hk/section/5.1.1. Lean: primary. Chiller vibration transmission through structures.

²⁴ Noise section, West of Devers final EIR (California PUC). https://files.cpuc.ca.gov/Environment/info/aspen/westofdevers/feir/d13_noise.pdf. Lean: primary. Typical rural and suburban background levels.

²⁵ Heat rejection in data centres (Bryden Wood). https://www.brydenwood.com/insights/heat-rejection-data-centres-optimisation. Lean: center. Liquid cooling still needs outdoor heat rejection.

²⁶ Liquid immersion cooling system brochure (Fujitsu). https://www.fujitsu.com/global/imagesgig5/fujitsu_server_primergy_liquid_immersion_cooling_system.pdf. Lean: advocacy. Vendor claim that immersion removes server fans.

²⁷ Communities are raising noise pollution concerns about data centers (EESI). https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/communities-are-raising-noise-pollution-concernsabout-data-centers. Lean: advocacy. Summary of levels and cases; mixes in crypto mines.

²⁸ JLARC data center report summary (Dec. 2024). https://pwcva.gov/assets/2024-12/JLARC%20Report%20Summary_12-16-2024.pdf. Lean: primary. 40-59 dB measured at complaint sites, proximity figures; PDF not readable, figures via search summaries.

²⁹ Fairfax County leads state in data centers near residential neighborhoods (FFXnow). https://www.ffxnow.com/2024/12/11/report-fairfax-county-leads-state-in-data-centers-near-residential-neighborhoods/. Lean: center. JLARC proximity figures; read via search summary.

³⁰ Data centers are not that loud, taxpayer group finds (Broadband Breakfast). https://broadbandbreakfast.com/data-centers-are-not-that-loud-taxpayer-groups-finds/. Lean: advocacy. Taxpayers Protection Alliance claim, no methodology.

³¹ Data center noise, fumes create flood of complaints in Loudoun (WJLA). https://wjla.com/news/local/data-center-noise-fumes-create-flood-of-complaints-in-loudoun-county-virginia-board-of-supervisors-sterling. Lean: center. July 2026 generator run in Sterling.

³² Sterling resident says data center generators produced excessive noise (Northern Virginia Magazine). https://northernvirginiamag.com/news/2026/07/21/sterling-resident-says-data-centers-generators-produced-excessive-noise-pollution/. Lean: center. 60 dB reading, DEQ statement.

³³ Vantage touts $15M in data center noise mitigation (Loudoun Now). https://www.loudounnow.com/news/neighbors-continue-to-raise-concerns-as-vantage-touts-15m-in-data-center-noise-mitigation-efforts/article_eca9281b-7909-4055-82b1-a466ca9977dd.html. Lean: center. Mitigation spending, neighbors' dispute; read via search summary.

³⁴ Prince William neighbors knock the noise (WJLA/AP). https://wjla.com/news/local/northern-virginia-prince-william-county-data-centers-residents-protest-safety-health-great-oak-homeowners-association-loudoun-county-capital-amazon-web-services-gainesville. Lean: center. Great Oak complaints, 424 exhaust vents.

³⁵ As data centers proliferate, neighbors knock the noise (AP via WSLS, 2022). https://www.wsls.com/business/2022/09/13/as-data-centers-proliferate-neighbors-knock-the-noise/. Lean: center. Data Center Coalition response.

³⁶ Hemstreet presents FY 2026 budget (Loudoun Now). https://www.loudounnow.com/news/hemstreet-presents-4-7b-fy-2026-budget-with-unprecedented-data-center-revenues/article_82f9c6ba-e9db-11ef-a684-ab75573cc019.html. Lean: center. 38% of general fund, tax rate quote.

³⁷ Study: home prices are higher near data centers (George Mason University). https://content.gmu.edu/news/2025-11/study-home-prices-are-higher-when-house-near-data-center. Lean: academic. Nov. 2025 Northern Virginia sales study.

³⁸ New research offers mixed findings on data centers and home values (The Close). https://theclose.com/news-data-centers-home-values/. Lean: unknown. Integra/Sabey study and Chia et al. working paper.

³⁹ NAR data center impact report (Commercial Observer). https://commercialobserver.com/2026/09/national-association-realtors-data-center-report/. Lean: center. NAR county values and agent survey.

⁴⁰ Not all U.S. housing markets react the same to data centers (WUNC/NPR). https://www.wunc.org/2026-09-11/as-data-centers-spread-not-all-u-s-housing-markets-react-the-same-way. Lean: center. NAR economist on causation.

⁴¹ Working paper on data centers and nearby home prices (eScholarship). https://escholarship.org/content/qt2z83c21b/qt2z83c21b.pdf. Lean: academic. 7.2% / 3% estimates; authors and review status not confirmed, read via search summary.

⁴² Data center survey, Aug. 2025 (Heatmap). https://heatmap.news/politics/data-center-survey. Lean: center. 44% support, 42% oppose.

⁴³ Data center opposition poll (Heatmap). https://heatmap.news/daily/data-center-opposition-poll-collapse. Lean: center. 75% oppose, Aug. 2026.

⁴⁴ Data centers in court (WilmerHale, July 13, 2026). https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/20260713-data-centers-in-court-the-emerging-wave-of-nuisance-environmental-and-land-use-litigation. Lean: center. Case list and status; law firm summary, not dockets.

⁴⁵ Noise lawsuit is latest in legal wave hitting data centers (Facilities Dive). https://www.facilitiesdive.com/news/noise-lawsuit-is-latest-in-legal-wave-hitting-data-center-operations/829040/. Lean: center. Microsoft Wisconsin suit, other 2026 suits.

⁴⁶ Michigan residents sue AI data center over noise (Newsweek). https://www.newsweek.com/michigan-residents-sue-ai-data-center-noise-not-alone-12254427. Lean: center. Dowagiac limits, city fine, company dispute.

⁴⁷ Federal class-action lawsuit filed over Dowagiac data center noise (Michigan Advance). https://michiganadvance.com/2026/05/27/federal-class-action-lawsuit-filed-over-dowagiac-data-center-noise/. Lean: lean-left. Suit details; read via search summary.

⁴⁸ New Jersey neighbors sue over humming noise from data center (GovTech). https://www.govtech.com/artificial-intelligence/new-jersey-neighbors-sue-over-humming-noise-from-data-center. Lean: center. Vineland suit and county Notice of Violation.

⁴⁹ Texas jury sides with bitcoin miner Marathon in noise dispute (Decrypt). https://decrypt.co/239380/texas-jury-sides-with-bitcoin-miner-marathon-in-nightmare-noise-dispute. Lean: center. Acquittal, defense arguments, mitigation pledge.

⁵⁰ Granbury residents sue local bitcoin mine (Earthjustice). https://earthjustice.org/press/2024/granbury-residents-sue-local-bitcoin-mine-over-health-threatening-noise-pollution. Lean: advocacy. Plaintiffs' counsel press release.

⁵¹ Crypto firm MARA sued over data center noise (DatacenterDynamics). https://datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/crypto-firm-mara-sued-over-data-center-noise-and-dead-chickens/. Lean: center. 37 citations; read via search summary.

⁵² Tennessee judge rules bitcoin mine violates zoning laws (The Block). https://www.theblock.co/post/137908/after-noise-complaints-tennessee-judge-rules-that-a-bitcoin-mine-violates-zoning-laws. Lean: center. March 2022 zoning ruling.

⁵³ Crypto, data center noise has 'shattered' NC town, suit says (Law360). https://www.law360.com/articles/2511658. Lean: center. Murphy, NC suit; paywalled, headline and summary only.

⁵⁴ Virginia Court of Appeals blocks Digital Gateway (WJLA). https://www.wjla.com/news/local/prince-william-county-data-center-digital-gateway-virginia-court-of-appeals-american-battlefield-trust. Lean: center. April 1, 2026 ruling on notice grounds.

⁵⁵ South Dakota SB 127 text (2026). https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/297147.pdf. Lean: primary. One-mile setback, 45 dB cap; read via search summary.

⁵⁶ Bills regulating data centers dominate committee discussion (KOTA). https://www.kotatv.com/2026/02/19/bills-regulating-data-centers-dominate-committee-discussion/. Lean: center. SB 127 committee result.

⁵⁷ Vermont H.727 draft (2026). https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Workgroups/Senate%20Natural%20Resources/Bills/H.727/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20Legal%20Documents/H.727~Maria%20Royle~%20Draft%201.3%2005-06-2026~5-6-2026.pdf. Lean: primary. 42/39 dBA proposal; draft only.

⁵⁸ Ohio towns are pushing back against data centers (WYSU). https://wysu.org/2026-02-26/ohio-towns-are-pushing-back-against-data-centers-to-varying-degrees-of-success. Lean: center. Township zoning differences.

⁵⁹ Noise, power usage key concerns for data center ordinance (Times-Herald, Newnan). https://www.times-herald.com/news/noise-power-usage-are-key-concerns-for-data-center-ordinance/article_95e7eb31-7ca2-4489-b000-4d0d042de8aa.html. Lean: center. Coweta County ordinance.

⁶⁰ East Texas county judge says state law limits options (Fox 26 Houston). https://www.fox26houston.com/news/east-texas-angelina-county-lufkin-data-center. Lean: center. Texas county authority; read via search summary.

⁶¹ CoreSite data center north Denver public meetings (CPR News). https://www.cpr.org/2026/04/22/coresite-data-center-north-denver-public-meetings/. Lean: center. Resident reports of low-frequency hum.

⁶² Prince William outlines noise ordinance update (InsideNoVa). https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/prince-william-outlines-noise-ordinance-update-with-data-centers-a-priority/article_1cd3b2cc-ac4c-425b-8824-7041e40d13a6.html. Lean: center. Wade Hugh quote on windows.