Metro Atlanta's data center market closed out March with a vacancy rate of just 1%, according to real estate services firm CBRE, even as construction activity in the region reaches record levels. Fulton County's Union City is home to one of the most visible examples of that build-out: a nearly $2 billion data center campus developed by EdgeConnex for Microsoft on 136 acres, which remained under construction as of December 2025.
CBRE data cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows the Atlanta area has become the second-largest data center market in the country behind Northern Virginia, expanding leasable capacity by 313% between April 2024 and March 2025, a growth rate far outpacing runner-up Chicago's 52%. Mike Lash, an executive vice president with CBRE Data Center Solutions, said demand keeps outpacing supply even with a historic volume of construction underway, noting that a significant share of new capacity is committed before it becomes operational.
Roughly 80% of data center space under construction across the top four U.S. markets was preleased by the end of 2025, according to CBRE, meaning much of the new supply will not meaningfully ease vacancy once it opens. Lash said Atlanta's growth pace is likely to moderate but remain strong, with future expansion increasingly tied to how much electric power is available rather than land or capital.
The buildout has also drawn scrutiny. Georgia Power is pursuing one of the largest expansions of its generating fleet in company history to serve new data center load, a plan facing legal challenges from environmental and faith groups concerned about the cost to residential ratepayers.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/06/georgia-data-centers-fill-up-as-soon-as-theyre-built-driving-demand-higher/