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Drive north on Route 28 from Dulles Airport and they are hard to miss: long, windowless buildings lined with rooftop equipment, new substations and high-voltage lines running between them. Loudoun County has the world's largest concentration of data centers, with 53.3 million square feet in operation or under development, according to Loudoun Economic Development. Sterling sits in the middle of that growth.
For anyone shopping for a home or apartment here, that raises a fair question: what is it actually like living near a data center? Here is what the research shows, what residents report and how to check a specific address before you sign anything.
Why Data Centers Cluster Around Sterling
Eastern Loudoun has three things data center operators want: dense fiber networks, access to high-voltage power and flat land close to Dulles. That combination earned neighboring Ashburn the nickname "Data Center Alley," and development spread along the Route 28 corridor into Sterling.
The buildings also pay. A 2024 study by Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) found that in localities with mature data center markets, the industry brought in up to 31 percent of total local revenue. That money helps keep Loudoun's residential tax rate among the lowest in Northern Virginia.
The Pros and Cons of Living Near a Data Center
What residents tend to like:
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Data center tax revenue helps fund schools, parks and county services.
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Once built, the facilities create little daily traffic compared with retail or office parks.
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The industry supports construction, electrical and technician jobs across the region.
What residents tend to dislike:
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A constant low hum from cooling equipment at some sites.
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Years of construction noise and truck traffic while new buildings go up.
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New substations and transmission lines that often follow the buildings.
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The view, especially when a large facility replaces open land.
How Loud Is a Data Center?
JLARC found that most Virginia data centers don't generate noise complaints because of where they are located or how they are designed. The ones that do usually share a few traits.
Where the Noise Comes From
The main source is cooling. Facilities that rely on rooftop fans and air-cooled chillers produce more sound than those using closed-loop water cooling. Backup diesel generators are even louder, though they normally run only during scheduled tests and power emergencies.
How Far Data Center Noise Travels
The complaint residents describe most often is a low-frequency hum that carries through walls and closed windows. According to Community & Environmental Defense Services, a group that advises residents on data center siting, noise has been most disturbing for homes within about 1,300 feet of a facility. Effects have been reported out to roughly three-quarters of a mile and become unlikely at about one mile. That one-mile mark is a sensible rule of thumb if you are wondering how far away from a data center you should live, but terrain, building design and wind direction all change the answer.
Is It Safe to Live Near a Data Center?
Living near a data center is not known to be dangerous in itself. Most of the talk about its dangers comes down to two things: noise, which some residents say affects their sleep and well-being, and diesel exhaust when backup generators run. Research on long-term health effects is still limited, so if you are sensitive to noise, distance and building design matter more than any general reassurance.
What It Means for Home Values and Your Electric Bill
So far, values have held. A Realtor.com analysis of 43 ZIP codes where large data centers opened between 2019 and 2025 found home values stayed on par with similar areas that had none. The same research suggested homes near these facilities may stay on the market longer, which can work in a buyer's favor when negotiating.
Electricity is a regional issue rather than a street-by-street one. JLARC estimated that a typical Dominion Energy residential customer could see generation and transmission costs rise by $14 to $37 a month in today's dollars by 2040, largely because of data center demand. You pay that whether the nearest facility is a block away or five miles.
How to Check an Address Before You Buy or Rent
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Use the county's data center map. The quickest way to answer "is there a data center near me?" is the interactive map of existing and proposed data centers on loudoun.gov. Look at what is planned, not just what is built.
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Search pending applications. Since March 18, 2025, new data centers in areas where they were once allowed by right need a special exception, which means public hearings. The county's LandMARC system shows active land use applications near any address.
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Check for power lines. The county's transmission lines page lists Dominion projects under review. One example: a proposed pair of 230 kV lines connecting a new substation off Russell Branch Parkway to the existing BECO substation in Sterling.
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Visit at night. Stand outside after dark, then listen inside with the windows closed. Low-frequency hum is easiest to hear when the neighborhood is quiet.
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Talk to neighbors. Ask how long they have lived there and whether the sound changed when nearby buildings expanded.
Planning Your Move to Sterling
Due diligence like this can stretch a timeline. Buyers often close before they are ready to move in, and renters sometimes end up with a week or two between leases. Planning for that gap early takes much of the stress out of moving day.
Among Sterling, VA movers, Royal Movers stands out for a simple policy: trained, uniformed crews handle every job, not day labor. The family-owned company has been based in Sterling since 2008 and can store your belongings short- or long-term until your new place is ready. It is licensed and insured, holds an A+ rating with the BBB and a 4.9-star average across more than 360 Google reviews, and publishes typical local moving costs on its website so you can budget before you call.
Is It Worth It?
For most residents, living near a data center in Sterling is an ordinary part of life in eastern Loudoun. Homes worth a closer look are within about a mile of an air-cooled facility or a planned expansion. Check the county map, visit at night and ask the neighbors.