Metro Atlanta has overtaken Northern Virginia as the US region with the most data center space under construction, according to first-half 2026 data from real estate services firm CBRE. The shift marks the first time Northern Virginia, long known as the world's largest data center cluster, has lost the top spot.
CBRE tracked nearly 2.9 gigawatts of data center capacity under construction in metro Atlanta, driven largely by demand for AI infrastructure. Mike Lash, an executive vice president with CBRE Data Center Solutions, said the region's growth reflects surging demand for capacity, with delivering enough power and supporting infrastructure now the primary limit on further construction rather than a lack of customer interest.
The construction boom is reshaping the region's broader economy. Buckhead-based T5 Data Centers announced it is spinning off its construction operations into a new company called EverOn, which will lease office space in West Midtown. T5's construction division grew its revenue from about $87 million in 2021 to nearly $1.7 billion last year as outside developers sought its services. Separately, Wisconsin-based Salute agreed to acquire T5's data center operations division, a pending deal covering roughly 100 facilities.
Atlanta's data center vacancy rate stood at 1.6% at the end of June, with about 80% of new space already preleased before completion. CBRE said site selection and community engagement have become development obstacles on par with securing power, as local opposition has slowed or disrupted a growing number of projects nationally.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/09/atlanta-surpasses-northern-virginia-to-lead-us-in-data-center-construction/