Columbus is a Tier 2 US data center market in OH on the PJM grid. Colocation inventory is about 506 MW (JLL Midyear 2025 (colocation); a 2026 southwest-Ohio study cited Columbus at ‘roughly 1.9 gigawatts’ incl. hyperscale (H1 2025)). Vacancy is 0.1% (JLL H1 2026 press release: Columbus ‘compressed to 0.1% vacancy’; JLL H1 2025: 1%). Typical colocation pricing runs $125-165/kW/month for 1-5 MW (JLL H1 2025). GoDataCenters tracks 58 facilities from 8 operators in the metro.
Columbus data center market at a glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Operational colocation inventory | 506 MW | JLL Midyear 2025 (colocation); a 2026 southwest-Ohio study cited Columbus at ‘roughly 1.9 gigawatts’ incl. hyperscale (H1 2025) |
| Under construction | 38 MW | JLL Midyear 2025 (colocation only) (H1 2025) |
| Planned pipeline | 3,262 MW | JLL Midyear 2025 (H1 2025) |
| Vacancy | 0.1% | JLL H1 2026 press release: Columbus ‘compressed to 0.1% vacancy’; JLL H1 2025: 1% |
| Typical pricing (kW/month) | $125-165/kW/month for 1-5 MW (JLL H1 2025) | |
| Grid operator | PJM | |
| Power utility | AEP Ohio | |
| Facilities tracked by GoDataCenters | 58 | GoDataCenters facility database |
How available is power for data centers in Columbus?
AEP Ohio: 30,000 MW of additional demand requested (2023); current applications 13,022 MW with contracts for 5,342 MW (ABC6, 2026). Nearly 80 new data centers could be built in Ohio by 2030.
Power is served by AEP Ohio. Grid operator: PJM.
Who are the major data center operators in Columbus?
Major operators active in the market: Amazon Web Services, Google (New Albany), Meta (New Albany), Microsoft, Cologix (COL1-COL4), Vantage, QTS, 5C Data Centers, Compass, EdgeConneX, DataBank.
| Operator | Facilities in metro (GoDataCenters DB) |
|---|---|
| Cologix | 6 |
| Vantage Data Centers | 5 |
| QTS Data Centers | 5 |
| CeraNet, Inc. | 3 |
| EdgeConneX | 3 |
| Lumen | 3 |
| Cogent Communications, Inc. | 2 |
| STACK INFRASTRUCTURE | 2 |
Facility concentration by city: Columbus (58).
What does colocation cost in Columbus?
Typical pricing bands: $125-165/kW/month for 1-5 MW (JLL H1 2025). Bands are brokerage-reported ranges for the market, not quotes. Actual rates depend on power density, term, ramp and redundancy.
Fiber and carrier presence in Columbus
Cologix COL1/COL2/COL4 are the most popular interconnection facilities (Baxtel).
What tax incentives apply to data centers in OH?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| State sales/use tax exemption | yes (new applications paused) |
| Program | Ohio Data Center Sales Tax Exemption (Ohio Tax Credit Authority) |
| Threshold | $100M investment + $1.5M annual payroll (SDIA); JobsOhio adds cash grants |
| Note | Gov. DeWine directed the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to stop accepting new applications (June 2026); HB 975 would end exemption Oct 1, 2026 (not enacted); HB 198 pending to cap abatements at 75%. |
Columbus colocation by capacity band
Frequently asked questions
How much data center capacity is in Columbus?
About 506 MW of operational colocation inventory per JLL Midyear 2025 (colocation); a 2026 southwest-Ohio study cited Columbus at ‘roughly 1.9 gigawatts’ incl. hyperscale (H1 2025). A further 38 MW is under construction.
What is the data center vacancy rate in Columbus?
0.1% per JLL H1 2026 press release: Columbus ‘compressed to 0.1% vacancy’; JLL H1 2025: 1%.
What is the typical colocation price per kW in Columbus?
$125-165/kW/month for 1-5 MW (JLL H1 2025).
Which grid serves Columbus data centers?
PJM. Utility: AEP Ohio.
Does OH offer a data center sales tax exemption?
yes (new applications paused). Program: Ohio Data Center Sales Tax Exemption (Ohio Tax Credit Authority). Threshold: $100M investment + $1.5M annual payroll (SDIA); JobsOhio adds cash grants.
Is Columbus a Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 data center market?
Columbus is classified as a Tier 2 market, using the CBRE, JLL and Cushman & Wakefield market tracking conventions.
Related pages
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Sources
- https://realestatedaily-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JLL-North-America-Data-Center-Report-Midyear-2025-8.14.25.pdf
- https://www.jll.com/en-us/newsroom/data-center-demand-exceeds-expectations-in-h1-2026
- https://ir.cushmanwakefield.com/news/press-release-details/2026/Dallas-Texas-Ranked-No–1-Primary-Data-Market-in-the-World-as-AI-Demand-Power-Constraints-and-Regulation-Reshape-CRE-Strategy/default.aspx
- https://baxtel.com/data-center/columbus
- https://www.constructionowners.com/insights/data-center-tax-incentives-state-by-state-whos-still-giving-whos-taking-back
- https://knowledge.sdialliance.org/policies/us-tax-incentives-for-data-centers-by-state
- https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/multistate-monitor-states-diverge-on-data-center-tax-incentives/
- https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/ohio-data-center-surge-powering-devices-growing-debate-building-growth-acres-80-more-microsoft-intel-meta-facebook-google-amazon-aws
- https://www.journal-news.com/news/this-area-is-water-rich-but-poor-in-power-a-study-highlights-southwest-ohio-data/article_dce72e79-9d73-5a8f-bbb0-f4a7bbb5b324.html
Data compiled by GoDataCenters. Last updated 2026-09-16. Figures are market-level ranges from cited reports, not quotes.