Most Americans are aware of datacenters, but opinions are mixed on their overall impact. A Pew Research Center survey reveals a quarter of US adults are very familiar with datacenters, while another 50 percent have limited awareness. Surprisingly, 25 percent know nothing about them, despite their cloud usage.

The survey, encompassing 8,512 adults, shows that many believe datacenters harm the environment, inflate energy costs, and disrupt communities. Conversely, many acknowledge their benefits, such as job creation and tax contributions. Specifically, 39 percent see environmental harm, while only 4 percent see benefits.

Regarding energy expenses, 38 percent of participants view datacenters negatively, linked to rising bills. Although efforts by political figures aim to mitigate this, perceptions remain grim.

However, datacenters are considered advantageous for job markets and tax revenues by some, with 25 percent supporting job growth and 23 percent noting tax benefits.

Contradictorily, studies show datacenter developers often benefit from local subsidies, resulting in financial losses for many states.

Despite claims of job creation, fully operational datacenters employ few full-time staff, typically between 30 and 200 people.

Partisan differences exist; Democrats tend to view datacenters more negatively than Republicans. Both parties, however, largely agree on the environmental concerns and other negative impacts.

Young adults express the most concern, with over half under 30 years old viewing datacenters as environmentally harmful, versus a quarter of those over 65.

Knowledge levels also influence views; those well-informed are more likely to see negative impacts across various areas surveyed. The datacenter industry acknowledges its image problem and seeks improvement.