Data Centers in Ohio

Ohio – Central Hub for Low-Latency Delivery

Executive Summary

Ohio is an exceptional choice for enterprises requiring low-latency infrastructure to serve the Midwest and Eastern United States. Its strategic location, coupled with competitive power costs and a low risk of natural disasters, makes it a primary market for disaster recovery, secondary compute sites, and edge deployments. The state offers a stable and cost-effective environment for critical IT operations that demand high uptime and broad reach.

Ohio: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Ohio’s connectivity is built for performance, serving as a critical junction between East Coast and Midwest markets. With 70 data centers, the state has a mature and competitive interconnection landscape.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality Ohio facilities provide access to over 25 unique network carriers as of September 2025. The market supports a healthy ecosystem of carrier-neutral colocation providers, giving businesses extensive choice and commercial leverage for transit and transport services.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps With 2 dedicated on-ramps and access to 3 distinct cloud regions as of 2023, Ohio offers excellent hybrid cloud capabilities. Direct, low-latency connections are available to major hyperscalers, including:

• AWS
• Google Cloud (GCP)

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) The Ohio IX, centered in Columbus, provides a primary peering point for local and regional networks, reducing latency and improving traffic flow. For broader peering, most facilities offer straightforward connectivity to major national exchange hubs in cities like Chicago.

Bare Metal Bare metal server options are readily available from multiple providers in the state. Companies like Hivelocity and phoenixNAP offer dedicated server solutions for workloads that require maximum performance and direct hardware control.

Power Analysis

Ohio delivers reliable and competitively priced power, a crucial advantage for high-density computing and large-scale data center deployments.

Average Cost Of Power Industrial electricity rates typically range from $0.07 to $0.09/kWh as of 2023. This cost advantage can significantly lower the total cost of ownership for power-intensive infrastructure compared to other major US markets. The state's grid is primarily fueled by natural gas (59%) and coal (19%) as of 2023.

Power Grid Reliability The power grid supporting major data center clusters in cities like Columbus is well-engineered and resilient. Facilities commonly feature redundant connections from multiple substations, ensuring high levels of uptime for mission-critical operations.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Ohio provides a favorable business environment with direct access to a massive segment of the US economy.

Proximity To Key Business Districts Data centers are concentrated near Ohio's primary economic hubs: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. This proximity serves a diverse industrial base, including finance, research, healthcare, and logistics, enabling low-latency connections for local enterprise operations.

Regional Market Reach From a network perspective, Ohio is strategically positioned to serve a vast geographic area. It can deliver applications and content with under 20 milliseconds of latency to a significant portion of the US population, including major markets like Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers The state offers meaningful tax incentives for qualifying data center projects. Through the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, large-scale developments can negotiate custom tax credits and breaks, directly reducing the long-term operational costs of a major deployment.

Natural Disaster Risk

Ohio has a very low natural disaster risk profile, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 19.50 out of 100 as of September 2025. Its inland location shields it from hurricanes and coastal flooding, making it an ideal location for critical infrastructure and backup sites.

The primary environmental risks to consider are seasonal and regional in nature:

• Tornado
• Riverine Flooding
• Winter Weather
• Strong Wind
• Hail