Columbus data center market

Power availability in Columbus: DCPI verdict AVOID, composite score 19.8 of 100, as of 2026-10-20. Source: DC Hub.

Data Center Market Deep-Dive · 306 words · generated 2026-10-20 from live DC Hub data · DCPI live as of 2026-10-20

This analysis was written on 2026-10-20, when the Data Center Power Index for this market read 21.7. 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 Columbus

Broker lease rates (CBRE/JLL): available on paid plans. 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: DC Hub estimate. Anchored on JLL North America Data Center Report Midyear 2025 (1-5 MW, H1 2025): Columbus plus ~9% JLL-reported NA rent growth to 2026; held below Chicago (CBRE North America Data Center Trends H1 2026 (250+ kW): ).

Columbus hosts tracked facilities across 2,179 MW of total capacity, anchored by hyperscalers Google and Amazon Web Services, with regional operator Cologix holding a secondary position at 6 sites. This combination creates a hard ceiling on near-term expansion economics.

The AVOID verdict reflects a market fundamentally constrained by power availability rather than demand. Investors and operators pursuing acquisition or build-to-suit strategies should treat Columbus as a non-starter for capacity-focused deployments. New entrants face dual headwinds: limited grid headroom forces costly and time-consuming infrastructure upgrades, while existing operators control most prime real estate. Brownfield expansion at established sites remains theoretically possible but requires pre-negotiated power allocations that are unlikely to materialize at scale. Capital deployed here carries execution risk that peers in less-constrained geographies do not.

Recent deal activity underscores selective, small-scale interest rather than confidence. Duos Technologies acquired a Columbus data center property for $15 million with a potential $15 million earnout, a modest transaction that reflects opportunistic positioning rather than platform ambition. The absence of large hyperscaler acquisitions in Columbus—contrasted with reported activity elsewhere in Ohio—suggests that Google, AWS, and Meta have deprioritized Columbus greenfield investment. Cologix's presence as the largest independent operator provides some counterbalance to hyperscaler dominance, but six facilities is insufficient to drive market-wide momentum. The operator hierarchy remains stable, with no signs of aggressive M&A or capacity consolidation.

Water-use scrutiny from Columbus city council adds a secondary regulatory headwind that compounds power limitations. Forward observers should monitor whether regional power infrastructure upgrades materialize within the next 18–24 months, as they would be necessary (though not sufficient) to reposition Columbus as viable for institutional capital.

Data centers in Columbus

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

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JSON: /api/v1/markets/columbus/deep-dive · DCPI: /dcpi · Operators: /operators · Narrative written 2026-10-20, refreshed on a rolling schedule (about monthly per market); the DCPI score, MW total and facility records above are read live at page load