Data centers form the backbone of a digital economy. And ranking 2nd in the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, the U.S. is home to the highest number of data centers in the world.
In this guide, we explore all the major data center locations in the U.S. to help you find the right colocation facility for your business needs.
Up to 50% of the total data centers in the U.S. are located in the top 8 locations we’ve explored below:
Northern Virginia has the highest concentration of data centers amongst all 50 states in the U.S. It has around 250 data centers in total, most of which are located in Ashburn.
Low latency, safe location, and easy access to resources as well as to global destinations makes Virginia an obvious choice of colocation center for businesses. Some major centers include industry giants like Meta, Google, and Microsoft.
With over 240 data centers, California is one of the obvious names on the list. From San Francisco to Los Angeles, California has a high demand for data centers.
This is primarily due to the diverse industries located in the state, including many of the tech and computing giants located in the San Francisco area.
The second biggest concentration of data centers in the U.S. is in Dallas with around 150 facilities.
It is a popular choice for businesses owing to its central location along with affordable energy and real estate prices.
New York City and its surrounding tri-state area host more than 130 data centers. Unlike the previous states, New York has a soaring real estate market along with some of the highest costs for power. Despite this, it continues to have a high demand for data centers since its the financial capital of the U.S.
The only drawback of New York is that it has many old facilities, which may not be cost-effective or efficient for you.
Chicago holds a majority of Illinois’ data centers at approximately 120+. It has a reliable energy supply, low cost of living, and tax benefits, all of which help attract a high-skilled workforce.
And given the growing population of the city, Chicago has a booming digital economy.
Washington, D.C., provides businesses a total of 100 data centers along with low-latency access to government agencies and global giants. It boasts of a strong network industry and has a rich concentration of fiber networks.
One of the main benefits is the low energy costs in the region. However, the region also has some of the most in-demand real estate markets.
While Atlanta only has a data center strength of about 100, it makes for one of the best locations for colocation facilities. From low energy costs and low environmental risks to a reliable power grid, Atlanta has all the features essential for supporting a colocation facility.
It also has a strong digital economy with a growing population and is home to a large number of Fortune 500 companies.
Miami’s 70+ data centers connect U.S. businesses to Latin America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Thanks to its strategic location, access to subsea cabling, and one of the world’s largest connection points.
It is a popular location for fintech enterprises that require secure network connections along with ultra-low latency.
Land constraints, hyperscaler demand, and the shift to cloud computing have given a new life to secondary data center markets in all parts of the world. If you’re operating a cloud-based business, you may also want to consider markets other than the popular ones. Besides, the top markets are already struggling with low availability, old infrastructures, and high prices.
The secondary colocation data center market in the U.S. consists of locations such as:
And more. Altogether, they make up around 50% of total data centers in the U.S.
With 65+ data centers in 27+ tier 1 and 2 metros, DataBank is capable of putting any workload within 100 miles of more than 60% of the U.S. population. DataBank has state-of-the-art data center facilities in all of the top colocation data center locations in the U.S. To learn more about DataBank’s facilities and data center footprint, visit: https://www.databank.com/data-centers/
There’s a lot that goes into deciding where to host your IT infrastructure. From latency and connectivity requirements to environmental hazards, you must consider the benefits and drawbacks of each location. Moreover, some locations might not have a higher demand than supply, which means higher prices.
Overall, understanding the key features of every location will give you a good starting point for your research on colocation facilities in the U.S. And we hope that with this guide, you can take steps in the right direction.
Related Resources:
Colocation 101: A Complete Guide [What it is, Types, Features, How it Works, Benefits]
Colocation Vs. Dedicated Hosting
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