An aggressive land rush for AI data centers is making some overnight millionaires — at the cost of American farmland. In Salem Township, Pennsylvania, a quiet agricultural community has undergone a historic financial windfall, with 96 families collectively selling 1,700 acres of farmland to data center developers for a staggering $586 million. Driven by the tech industry's insatiable demand for high-voltage electricity and fiber-optic networks to power artificial intelligence, these deals averaged over $6 million per family.
source: Esposito, E. (2026). Pennsylvania families sold 1,700 acres for $586 million as AI data center land rush mints new millionaires. Moneywise.
