Data Centers in Boston

Boston – High Performance Infrastructure for New England

Executive Summary

Boston is the technical anchor for the Northeast, supporting elite research, financial, and life sciences institutions that require low-latency compute. Its infrastructure is a primary choice for organizations where uptime and speed directly dictate market leadership and operational security.

Boston: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: The carrier count is over 44 as of December 2025. This ecosystem is highly competitive, featuring approximately 40 to 50 unique providers across 42 data centers, ensuring diverse path options and resilient transit.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps: Over 1, enabling access to 4 cloud regions as of December 2025. Tenants utilize direct links to AWS and Google Cloud (GCP) to bypass the public internet for better security and lower latency.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): NetIX and other local peering points provide essential interconnection that keeps regional traffic local, reducing the need to hair-pin data through New York City.

Bare Metal: Reliable bare metal services are available for organizations needing dedicated hardware without the overhead of virtualization, with providers like Hivelocity and ColoCrossing maintaining a presence as of September 2025.

Power Analysis

Average Cost Of Power: Industrial electricity is approximately $0.10/kWh as of October 2025. This pricing provides a predictable cost structure for organizations deploying power-dense artificial intelligence or high-performance computing hardware.

Power Grid Reliability: The local grid is well-engineered and supported by a diverse generation mix, including natural gas and an increasing share of solar energy. Facilities in major data center corridors often feature multi-substation support to maintain high availability.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data centers are strategically located near the Financial District and the Cambridge life sciences corridor. This proximity is vital for low-latency synchronization between production environments and corporate headquarters.

Regional Market Reach: Boston is the digital gateway for the six-state New England region and serves as a critical jumping-off point for traffic for eastern Canada and the North Atlantic subsea cables.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers: Massachusetts provides a specific sales and use tax exemption for data center equipment for eligible operators. This benefit significantly lowers the capital expenditure required for large-scale infrastructure deployments and recurring hardware refreshes.

Natural Disaster Risk

The natural disaster risk for Boston is High (92.68) as of December 2025. The city is purpose-built to handle its specific environmental profile, but infrastructure managers must account for severe natural hazards.

The highest scoring risks include:

• Severe Winter Weather and Ice Storms
• Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
• Heat Waves
• Lightning
• Riverine Flooding

Coastal flooding is a regional risk in low-lying areas, though most major facilities are situated or hardened to mitigate direct impact. Other natural hazards such as earthquakes and wildfires are present but considered minor for this metro.