Ashburn data center market

Power availability in Ashburn (Northern Virginia): DCPI verdict AVOID, composite score 19.8 of 100, as of 2026-10-20. Source: DC Hub.

Data Center Market Deep-Dive · 290 words · generated 2026-10-18 from live DC Hub data · DCPI live as of 2026-10-20

This analysis was written on 2026-10-18, when the Data Center Power Index for this market read 26.7. The index is recomputed through the day and reads 19.8 now — the figure above is the live one, and the narrative below describes the market as it stood when it was written.

Colocation lease rates in Ashburn

Asking rate range (broker report): $190–$235 /kW/mo (250-500 kW (CBRE quoted asking rate, 250+ kW N+1/Tier III)), H1 2026. Vacancy 2.0%.

Asking base rent per kW of critical IT capacity. Electricity is normally billed separately (metered pass-through), plus cross-connects and one-time fees. Signed deals, term and size change the number. Source: CBRE North America Data Center Trends H1 2026 (250+ kW): Northern Virginia $190-235/kW/mo (link)

Ashburn hosts tracked facilities representing 8,662 MW of installed capacity, making it a mature hyperscale hub dominated by three operators: Digital Realty commands facilities, Equinix operates 20, and Amazon Web Services controls 17.

The AVOID verdict reflects a specific investor profile risk: buyers acquiring operating facilities in Ashburn face headwinds from power scarcity that compress margins and limit expansion. When constraint severity exceeds supply availability (54 vs. 45), newly deployed capital cannot scale workloads efficiently, and lease rates fail to compensate for infrastructure limitations. This dynamic particularly penalizes acquisition-stage entrants who inherit existing footprints without control over regional grid upgrades or interconnect expansion timelines.

M&A momentum remains thin relative to market size. Amazon's $427 million transaction in Ashburn represents the only recent tracked deal, suggesting that hyperscalers already holding significant deployed capacity (AWS's facilities) are consolidating rather than aggressively expanding. Digital Realty's dominant position (35 sites) reflects historical build-out completed before current constraint pressures materialized. CloudHQ's facility presence and Equinix's 20-site footprint indicate diversification strategies, but neither firm has announced major Ashburn additions. The absence of mid-market or PE-backed acquisition announcements underscores limited confidence in near-term supply relief.

Ashburn's future depends on whether Loudoun County and regional transmission planners can unconstrain power delivery faster than demand growth consumes headroom. Without visibility into specific substation upgrades or interconnect timelines, acquisition-stage investors should monitor peer activity—if Digital Realty or AWS announce material new builds, constraint signals may be easing. Until then, the facility installed base will likely serve as a mature, stable revenue platform rather than a growth vector.

Data centers in Ashburn

Largest first by reported MW (blank where not reported). Unverified directory listings are not shown.

Browse every data center in Virginia.

JSON: /api/v1/markets/ashburn/deep-dive · DCPI: /dcpi · Operators: /operators · Updated nightly