A new JLL North America data center market report projects Texas to become the world’s largest data center market by 2030, potentially overtaking Virginia. The findings come as the sector continues to mature amid increasingly complex transactions.
The study notes vacancy across North America remains at a record-low 1%, while more than half of new construction is concentrated in frontier markets outside traditional hubs like Dallas–Fort Worth, Northern Virginia, and Silicon Valley.
Texas is driving the surge, with about 6.5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity currently under construction, supporting projections that the state could surpass Virginia for the top market title by 2030. In addition to Texas, states such as Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Ohio are benefiting from abundant land and pro‑business environments.
Overall, the report says roughly 64% of the data center pipeline has shifted beyond mature markets, signaling a broadening footprint for hyperscale, AI, and edge workloads.
Industry leaders will discuss these shifts at Connected America 2026 in Dallas, with speakers from Gravity Path Partners, Cisco Systems, FiberLight, and ERCOT examining what next‑generation networks must deliver to support AI and edge computing. The conference agenda is available online.
