Data Centers in Cleveland

Cleveland, Ohio – Stable Midwest Hub for Edge & DR

Executive Summary

Cleveland is an excellent choice for businesses requiring a stable, low-risk data center presence in the American Midwest. Its strategic location provides reliable, low-latency connectivity to major markets like Chicago and New York, making it ideal for disaster recovery, edge computing, and secondary production sites. This market balances cost-effectiveness with a robust infrastructure, protecting critical applications and ensuring uptime.

Cleveland, Ohio: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Cleveland offers a solid and diverse connectivity ecosystem suitable for most enterprise and disaster recovery needs. The market is well-connected to primary hubs on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality The Cleveland market is served by over 15 carriers across 18 data centers, as of September 2025. This provides sufficient options for creating redundant network architectures in carrier-neutral facilities.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps There are no direct cloud on-ramps within Cleveland, as of September 2025. Businesses connect to cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure through dedicated network connections to the primary hub in Chicago. Private network interconnects and wavelength services are readily available from local carriers.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) The local Ohio IX facilitates some regional traffic exchange, but most high-volume peering is conducted privately or through network connections to major IXPs in Chicago. This provides efficient routes to national and international destinations.

Bare Metal Bare metal server options are available from providers operating within the Cleveland market. Companies like ColoCrossing offer dedicated server solutions for workloads that require direct hardware access.

Power Analysis

Average Cost Of Power The average cost for industrial power in the Cleveland area ranges from $0.07 to $0.09/kWh, as of November 2023. This competitive pricing reduces total operational costs for high-density deployments. The state's power mix is primarily sourced from natural gas (59%), followed by coal (19%), nuclear (12%), and renewables (10%).

Power Grid Reliability The power grid serving Cleveland's data center corridors is well-engineered and reliable, benefiting from the region's long history as an industrial center. Redundant power feeds and multi-substation support are standard features in the area's primary colocation facilities.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Proximity To Key Business Districts Data centers in Cleveland provide low-latency access to the city's central business district, the globally recognized healthcare corridor, and a substantial industrial and manufacturing base. This proximity is critical for financial services, healthcare applications, and real-time industrial data processing.

Regional Market Reach From Cleveland, organizations can effectively serve a large population across the Great Lakes region. The market offers low-latency connectivity to consumers and businesses throughout Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Michigan, and upstate New York.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers Ohio provides significant tax incentives for qualifying data center investments, which can substantially lower the long-term cost of operation. These state-level programs make building and operating large-scale facilities more financially viable.

Natural Disaster Risk

Cleveland 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. The market is not exposed to major seismic or hurricane threats that affect coastal and West Coast regions.

The primary environmental risks to consider are seasonal weather events, including Tornadoes, Winter Weather, Strong Wind, and Riverine Flooding. Other notable risks include Hail and Lightning. Facility engineering and operational planning are designed to mitigate these predictable regional hazards.