The States Building America’s AI Future – And Those Falling Behind

California’s lead in the AI race just widened, and the newest January 2026 report from Texas Royalty Brokers show which states head up the pack. The big takeaway from the study: Only a few states are truly building the future of AI, while others are trailing behind.

“AI development isn’t spreading evenly across America,” says Eric Winegar, Managing Partner at Texas Royalty Brokers. “States with strong tech sectors and existing digital infrastructure are pulling ahead quickly, while others struggle to attract the investment.”

The rankings were built by combining several indicators that actually show a state’s capacity to compete in AI. Researchers considered how many businesses are adopting automation tools, how quickly that adoption is growing, the volume of AI‑related job openings, the pace of patent creation, and the amount of computing power housed in data centers and GPU clusters. These measures were blended into AI Strength Scores.

THE TOP 10 U.S. STATES LEADING IN AI DEVELOPMENT

The frontrunners in this study all share three advantages: powerful data centers, a strong pool of specialized workers, and state policies that support AI growth.

“California and Texas have all three, and that’s why they are leading for now,” says Winegar.

California dominated, with an AI Strength Score of 99. Almost 2,000 AI‑related job openings are listed in California every month, which is more than double any other state. About 8.1% of California businesses are already using AI, and the state also holds a staggering 55,657 AI patents, roughly a third of the nation’s total. Behind all this sits a massive infrastructure network of 326 data centers and 8 GPU‑cluster sites that keeps the state’s AI engine running at full speed.

In second place, Texas has built the largest AI computing infrastructure in the country, with 17 GPU clusters and 416 data centers. Businesses in Texas are adopting AI quickly, and companies post around 880 AI‑related jobs monthly. Nearly 9% of IT roles now focus on artificial intelligence.

Virginia rounds out the top three. This state is home to 667 data centers, which is more than any other state in the country. That concentration of processing power fuels a strong job market, with more than 800 AI‑related openings posted each month.

As for the rest of the top ten, Delaware leads the nation in business adoption, with 11% of companies already using AI. This state also has the fastest adoption‑growth rates, at 4.3%.

Next Page: The Jobs In Demand…and In Decline

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