Last updated 2026-10-19 · Sources at the bottom
Where Texas data center crews are living now
Sourced and dated; we are not involved in any of these camps.
Afton, Dickens County
Operator community expanded to support up to 1,050 people, can grow to 1,500. Target Hospitality release, Feb 24, 2026
Haskell County
Maverick Workforce Hub: about 300 acres, up to 4,000 beds, phased. Mammoth Industries project page
Wheeler County
About 800 acres, 11 miles from the Gray County site, 2,500 workers expandable to 4,500. KFDA, Sep 2, 2026
Childress
32 acres, housing for 420 plus a 150-space RV park. JRH Engineering case study
Pecos region
About 1,100-bed operator community opened Aug 2026. Target Hospitality, Aug 2026
Abilene
RV villages: Cottages at the Frontier (945 RV spaces, 109 acres) and Elmdale RV Park (2,300 sites at $675/month). Houston Chronicle, Mar 9, 2026; elmdalervpark.com
Own the camp vs. lease from an operator
| Lease beds from an operator | Own the units | |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | Multi-year, often with committed minimum revenue (one Texas expansion: about $49 million over two years plus extension options) | Purchase; no minimum commitment |
| Services | Meals, housekeeping, laundry, security bundled | You contract or self-perform |
| Control | Operator’s rules and allocation | Yours |
| Phasing | Through contract amendments | Order more units as manpower ramps |
| At the end | Nothing | Units to move to the next campus or sell |
Run your numbers in the break-even calculator and see what a bed costs to own.
Unit mix by camp size
- 200 beds: 40 × 16×76 5-bed crew units, plus laundry, dining, and recreation buildings
- 500 beds: 100 crew units, or a 70/30 split of crew units and 7-room sleepers with a dining hall
- Supervisors and owner’s reps: 4-suite full-kitchen units on the same site
Timeline: site work sets the schedule
In Childress, the civil engineer finished the full design for a 32-acre, 420-person camp in 26 days (Aug 10 – Sep 4, 2026) and released it in phases so earthwork could start while utilities were still being designed. Units are rarely the bottleneck; pads, water, wastewater, and power are. Ask us for current unit lead times when you start utility planning.
How many workers does a data center build need?
About 52,300 peak construction workers across 17 large Texas campuses (Apollo Technical, 2026). At one campus, Frontier near Albany, about 9,300 workers checked in during a single week in October 2026 (Albany News). See our breakdown.
Texas campuses we track
Every project page lists sourced facts, where crews live today, permits, and a cost comparison. See the project tracker.
After the build
When the last hall is energized, owned units move to the next campus or sell to another contractor, operator, or landowner. See what happens after the project.
Who buys
EPC and general contractor project directors, procurement teams, hyperscaler and developer site operations, electrical and mechanical subcontractors, staffing firms, and landowners near campuses who want to build a crew park.
The housing problem
- Hotels and rentals in towns like Abilene, Albany, Sweetwater, Claude, and Pecos filled up months ago, and rents moved with them.
- Long commutes on two-lane roads cost hours per shift and raise fatigue and safety risk.
- Craft labor leaves for the job that offers a better place to sleep.
- Builds run in phases for 2–5 years, so housing needs to expand without a second procurement.
- Someone has to own the plan for the units after the last building is energized.
Typical unit mix
- 200 beds: 40 five-room crew units plus dining, laundry, and recreation
- 500 beds: 100 crew units, or crew units plus 7-room sleepers with a dining hall
- Supervisors: 4-suite full-kitchen units
Recommended units: 16×76 5-Bed, 5-Bath Crew Unit (Shared Kitchen)16×76 5-Room Sleeper (No Kitchen)7-Room High-Density Sleeper16×76 4-Suite Unit (Four Full Kitchens) All models
Timeline
Site work (pads, water, wastewater, power) usually sets the schedule. Start utility planning the week you start pricing units, and ask us for current lead times.
Rules and compliance
Non-coded crew units are generally treated as industrialized buildings in Texas and fall under the TDLR Industrialized Housing and Buildings program; HUD-code homes fall under TDHCA. Some counties or landowners require HUD-code units for zoning reasons. See our HUD vs modular vs non-coded guide.
Photos
Projects we track
Stargate AbileneVantage FrontierWheeler County workforce hub (Pampa data center)Haskell County data center (Maverick Workforce Hub)Childress data center workforce campGalaxy Helios (Afton)Project Kilby and the Pecos data center campusGW Ranch (Fort Stockton)Fermi America Project MatadorIREN SweetwaterGoodnight campus (Claude)Milam County data center (SB Energy)Meta El Paso
Where in Texas
Big Country (Abilene area)Texas PanhandleWest Texas & Permian BasinCentral TexasEl Paso & Far West TexasNorth Texas
Common questions
What is an AI man camp?
A temporary workforce village built to house the construction crews of an AI data center, usually modular or manufactured units with dining, laundry, and recreation. The term spread in 2026 coverage, including Bloomberg in March 2026.
How do data centers house construction workers?
Through managed operator camps, RV villages, local hotels and rentals, and camps the contractor or a landowner owns. See our answer.
Who builds data center man camps?
Turnkey operators that lease beds and services, civil and engineering firms that design the sites, and unit suppliers that sell to contractors and landowners who run their own camp.
How fast can a data center camp be ready?
Site work and utilities usually set the pace; units that are in stock ship faster than build-to-order units. Ask us for current lead times.
Can we start with 100 beds and add more?
Yes. Plan the site, utilities, and roads for the full count, then deliver units in phases as manpower ramps.
Do you work with any of these camps or campuses?
No. We list them so buyers can see the market. We sell units to contractors and landowners.
Related answers
- How do data centers house construction workers?
- How fast can crew housing be delivered and set up?
- How many workers does it take to build a data center?
From the blog
Sources
- Target Hospitality, “Second 400-Bed Expansion to Data Center Community” (press release) (Feb 24, 2026)
- Insurance Journal (Bloomberg), “AI ‘Man Camps’ Offer Golf, Free Steaks to Lure Workers in Texas” (Mar 6, 2026)
- Mammoth Industries, “Latest Texas Data Center Development” (CTS Lonestar – Maverick Workforce Hub project page) (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- KFDA NewsChannel 10, “New workforce hub for data center workers coming to Wheeler County” (Sep 2, 2026)
- JRH Engineering case study, “Data Center Workforce Camp — 32-Acre Site Civil Engineering in Childress, TX” (checked Oct 19, 2026)
- Houston Chronicle: Cottages at the Frontier, 945 RV spaces on 109 acres, estimated $15 million (TDLR filing) (Mar 9, 2026)
- Elmdale RV Park website: 2,300 sites, $675/month with utilities, “6 minutes” from Frontier (checked Oct 2026)
- Apollo Technical: about 52,300 peak construction workers across 17 large Texas data center campuses (2026)
- Albany News: about 9,300 workers checked in at the Frontier site in one week (Oct 2026)
Last updated 2026-10-19. Figures are as published by each source on the date shown; re-check before you budget.
New to buying crew housing? Read the Texas workforce housing buyer’s guide.
Price housing for your data centers project
Tell us how many workers, where, and when. We come back with unit options, delivery timing, and pricing from the factory.
Start my quoteOther industries
Oil & gasPipeline & midstreamLNG, petrochem & refineriesSolar, wind & power plantsUtility & storm crewsConstruction & manufacturingMining & aggregatesH-2A & farmworker housingDisaster & emergency housingGovernment & militaryTeacher housingHospital & healthcare staffCities, counties & EDCsRV park & man camp operatorsBulk buyers & investorsEmployers & employee housing