Data Centers in Ohio

Ohio – Central US Hub for Low-Latency Delivery

Executive Summary

Ohio is a strategic hub for enterprises requiring low-latency connectivity to both East Coast and Midwest markets. With a dense concentration of data centers and direct cloud access, the state provides a cost-effective and resilient environment for mission-critical infrastructure. This combination ensures reliable application performance and scalable growth for businesses targeting a large portion of the US population.

Ohio: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Ohio's network ecosystem is well-developed, offering robust options for colocation and hybrid cloud deployments. The state's central location makes it a primary junction for long-haul fiber routes connecting the East Coast with Chicago and the West.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality With over 25 unique network providers present, as of September 2025, Ohio offers a competitive and resilient connectivity landscape. Customers in carrier-neutral facilities have ample choice for transit, transport, and private networking services, preventing vendor lock-in and ensuring competitive pricing.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps There are over 2 dedicated cloud on-ramps in Ohio, enabling low-latency, private access to 3 major cloud availability regions, as of September 2025. Direct connections are available to AWS and Google Cloud (GCP), making it a strong choice for hybrid cloud architecture.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) Public and private peering is readily available through Internet Exchanges located in major metro areas like Columbus. These IXPs facilitate efficient, low-cost traffic exchange between networks, improving performance for local end-users.

Bare Metal General availability for dedicated bare metal servers is excellent. Providers such as phoenixNAP and Hivelocity offer on-demand compute and storage solutions from facilities within the region, supporting workloads that require dedicated physical resources.

Power Analysis

Ohio offers reliable and competitively priced power, a critical factor for high-density computing and large-scale data center operations.

Average Cost Of Power Industrial electricity rates typically range from $0.07 to $0.09 per kWh, as of September 2025. This competitive pricing can significantly reduce total operational costs for power-intensive deployments. The state's grid mix is dominated by natural gas (59%) and coal (19%), with nuclear and renewables contributing the remainder, as of 2023.

Power Grid Reliability The power grid supporting Ohio's primary data center markets is well-engineered and reliable. Major facilities are often fed by redundant substations, providing the stable power necessary to support high-uptime service level agreements.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Ohio's business-friendly environment and strategic location provide distinct advantages for data center operators and their customers.

Proximity To Key Business Districts Data centers are concentrated near the key economic hubs of Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. This proximity serves major industries including finance, healthcare, research, and logistics, enabling low-latency access to critical applications and data.

Regional Market Reach From Ohio, organizations can effectively serve a massive population base across the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic United States. Its location is ideal for disaster recovery sites for East Coast operations or for primary sites delivering content and services nationally.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers Ohio provides specific tax incentives for large data center investments, which can be negotiated through the Ohio Tax Credit Authority. These programs significantly lower the financial burden of capital expenditures and ongoing operational costs for qualifying projects.

Natural Disaster Risk

Ohio has a very low natural disaster risk profile, making it a secure location for critical infrastructure and data backup. The state's FEMA National Risk Index score is 19.50 out of 100, as of September 2025, placing it in the "Very Low" risk category nationally.

The primary environmental hazards to consider are atmospheric and weather-related. Key risks include tornadoes, strong winds, winter weather, hail, and lightning. The state has minimal exposure to seismic, hurricane, or widespread wildfire events.