Northern Virginia is a Tier 1 US data center market in VA on the PJM grid. Colocation inventory is about 4,182 MW (CBRE Global Data Center Trends 2026 (Q1 2026 data)). Vacancy is 0.3% (CBRE Global Data Center Trends 2026 (Q1 2026); CBRE H2 2025 = 0.5%). Typical colocation pricing runs $190-235/kW/month (Q1 2026, CBRE). GoDataCenters tracks 282 facilities from 39 operators in the metro.
Northern Virginia data center market at a glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Operational colocation inventory | 4,182 MW | CBRE Global Data Center Trends 2026 (Q1 2026 data) |
| Planned pipeline | 5,900 MW | JLL North America Data Center Report Midyear 2025 (H1 2025) |
| Vacancy | 0.3% | CBRE Global Data Center Trends 2026 (Q1 2026); CBRE H2 2025 = 0.5% |
| Net absorption | 1,102 MW | CBRE H2 2025 press release: 1,102 MW net absorption in 2025 (Q1 2026 trailing: 1,148.3 MW) (CY2025) |
| Typical pricing (kW/month) | $190-235/kW/month (Q1 2026, CBRE); $155-185/kW for 10+ MW requirements (CBRE H2 2025); $135-200/kW 1-5 MW (JLL H1 2025) | |
| Grid operator | PJM | |
| Power utility | Dominion Energy (Dominion Energy Virginia); NOVEC in parts of Loudoun/Prince William | |
| Facilities tracked by GoDataCenters | 282 | GoDataCenters facility database |
How available is power for data centers in Northern Virginia?
Dominion’s batching system continues to extend power delivery timelines for new projects (CBRE H2 2025); 96% of 2026 scheduled supply already committed, preleasing extending into 2027; hard to secure 15-20 MW contiguous. Available supply only 10.8 MW at Q1 2026 (CBRE).
Power is served by Dominion Energy (Dominion Energy Virginia); NOVEC in parts of Loudoun/Prince William. Grid operator: PJM.
Who are the major data center operators in Northern Virginia?
Major operators active in the market: Amazon Web Services, Digital Realty, Equinix, CoreSite, CloudHQ, Vantage, QTS, Microsoft, Google, Iron Mountain, STACK Infrastructure, CyrusOne, Aligned.
| Operator | Facilities in metro (GoDataCenters DB) |
|---|---|
| Digital Realty | 35 |
| CloudHQ | 27 |
| STACK INFRASTRUCTURE | 19 |
| Equinix | 18 |
| NTT DATA, Inc. | 15 |
| The BlackChamber Group | 11 |
| Vantage Data Centers | 10 |
| Csquare | 9 |
| CyrusOne Data Centers | 9 |
| QTS Data Centers | 8 |
| Iron Mountain Data Centers | 8 |
| Compass Datacenters | 6 |
Facility concentration by city: Ashburn (105), Sterling (58), Manassas (41), Gainesville (21), Leesburg (13), Bristow (11), Herndon (8), Vienna (7), Reston (7), Chantilly (7).
What does colocation cost in Northern Virginia?
Typical pricing bands: $190-235/kW/month (Q1 2026, CBRE); $155-185/kW for 10+ MW requirements (CBRE H2 2025); $135-200/kW 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 Northern Virginia
Equinix Ashburn campus and CoreSite Reston campus are the region’s key interconnection hubs (Baxtel).
What tax incentives apply to data centers in VA?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| State sales/use tax exemption | yes |
| Program | Virginia Data Center Sales and Use Tax Exemption |
| Threshold | $150M capital investment + 50 new jobs at 150% prevailing wage (lower thresholds in distressed localities) |
| Note | Scheduled to 2027 under Senate budget proposal vs. Governor’s proposal to extend to 2050; impact-fee study floated (2026 session). Estimated $1.6B annual value. |
Northern Virginia colocation by capacity band
- 1-5 MW colocation in Northern Virginia
- 5-20 MW colocation in Northern Virginia
- 20 MW+ colocation in Northern Virginia
- Powered shell colocation in Northern Virginia
Frequently asked questions
How much data center capacity is in Northern Virginia?
About 4,182 MW of operational colocation inventory per CBRE Global Data Center Trends 2026 (Q1 2026 data).
What is the data center vacancy rate in Northern Virginia?
0.3% per CBRE Global Data Center Trends 2026 (Q1 2026); CBRE H2 2025 = 0.5%.
What is the typical colocation price per kW in Northern Virginia?
$190-235/kW/month (Q1 2026, CBRE); $155-185/kW for 10+ MW requirements (CBRE H2 2025); $135-200/kW 1-5 MW (JLL H1 2025).
Which grid serves Northern Virginia data centers?
PJM. Utility: Dominion Energy (Dominion Energy Virginia); NOVEC in parts of Loudoun/Prince William.
Does VA offer a data center sales tax exemption?
yes. Program: Virginia Data Center Sales and Use Tax Exemption. Threshold: $150M capital investment + 50 new jobs at 150% prevailing wage (lower thresholds in distressed localities).
Is Northern Virginia a Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 data center market?
Northern Virginia is classified as a Tier 1 market, using the CBRE, JLL and Cushman & Wakefield market tracking conventions.
Related pages
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Sources
- https://www.cbre.com/insights/reports/global-data-center-trends-2026
- https://www.cbre.com/press-releases/northern-virginia-extends-lead-as-largest-u-s-data-center-market-in-2025
- https://www.cbre.com/insights/books/north-america-data-center-trends-h2-2025/northern-virginia-data-center-market
- https://www.cbre.com/press-releases/fast-growing-north-american-data-center-market-set-records-in-2025
- https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cbre-new-data-center-capacity-under-construction-in-primary-us-markets-declines-year-on-year/
- https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/vacancy-rates-in-north-american-data-center-markets-hit-record-low-cbre/
- 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/northern-virginia
- 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
Data compiled by GoDataCenters. Last updated 2026-09-02. Figures are market-level ranges from cited reports, not quotes.