Does Amazon, Meta or Microsoft own the most Ohio data centers? It’s not even close

Several of the nation’s top tech companies own data centers across Ohio, but one runs far more than the others.

Amazon Web Services owns the most data centers across the state, with 56 planned or already in operation across Ohio, a Dispatch analysis of information from the tracking website Data Center Map shows. Nearly all of Amazon’s data centers are located in locations across central Ohio such as Hilliard, Dublin, Marysville, Johnstown, Plain City and Galena.

The city of Columbus itself is home to 23 data centers compared with Cleveland’s 16 and Cincinnati’s 13, data shows. With 179 data centers, Ohio has the fifth most of any state in the nation.

As data centers have popped up throughout the region, they’ve brought with them concerns about electric use. The surge in data centers means Ohio is expected to eat up so much electricity that demand for power in the region will be similar to all of Manhattan by 2030, according to American Electric Power.

Here’s a look at where data centers are in Ohio and how the region and state compare.

Where are the data centers in Columbus and throughout Ohio?

Ohio’s 179 data centers are scattered throughout the state. The map below shows where data centers are already in operation or planned throughout Ohio, according to tracking website Data Center Map.

What companies own the most data centers in Ohio?

While many of the companies that own data centers in Ohio are recognizable titans of the tech industry, some are less well-known.

Some of the best known companies like Amazon have dozens of data centers, but others don’t even crack the top 10. Google, for example, owns only three Ohio data centers while Facebook parent company Meta has one data center here and Miamisburg-based LexisNexis has two in the state, according to Data Center Map.

Below is a ranking of the top 10 data center owners in Ohio, a Dispatch analysis of information from Data Center Map found.

1. Amazon Web Services: 56 data centers.

2. Lumen Technologies: 13 data centers.

3. CyrusOne Data Centers: Seven data centers.

4. Cologix: Six data centers.

5. Microsoft: Five data centers.

6. Expedient Data Centers: Five data centers.

7. QTS Data Centers: Five data centers.

9. Ark Data Centers: Five data centers.

10. Cogent Communications, Inc.: Five data centers.

How does Ohio compare to other states on data centers?

Ohio is a top state for data centers.

But, the Buckeye State is still far behind some of the biggest states for data centers, including Virginia. Below is a ranking of the top 10 states for data centers, according to tracking website Data Center Map.

1. Virginia: 575 data centers.

3. California: 311 data centers

4. Illinois: 222 data centers.

6. New York: 139 data centers.

7. Georgia: 139 data centers.

8. Oregon: 131 data centers.

9. Arizona: 129 data centers.

10. Florida: 121 data centers.

Dispatch investigative reporter Max Filby can be reached by email at mfilby@dispatch.com. Find him on X at the handle @MaxFilby or on Facebook at @ReporterMaxFilby.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How many Ohio data centers does Amazon own? Tech giant dwarfs rivals