CBRE: data center vacancy falls to 6.7% globally, 1% in Atlanta

CBRE's global data center trends report, released June 24, 2026, found average vacancy across the 16 largest markets it tracks fell to 6.7% in the first quarter of 2026, down from 8.3% a year earlier, even as supply grew 25% to 16 GW. In the US, Northern Virginia vacancy was 0.3%, Atlanta 1% and Dallas-Fort Worth 1.8%. Chicago had the highest rents among major US markets, at $200 to $230 per kW per month for a 250 to 500 kW requirement, up 14.7% from a year earlier. As of the end of 2025, 80% of space under construction in the top four US markets was already preleased.

Most of this demand is coming from AI and cloud providers, but every colocation buyer feels it. Tight supply means higher renewal pricing, less negotiating room and fewer options for smaller deployments. CBRE warned that companies without secured capacity may face limited options through 2030, and noted that users are increasingly looking at rural sites across Georgia to find power and scale.

If you have colocation contracts renewing in the next 18 to 24 months, start the conversation now rather than 90 days out. Ask your provider for renewal pricing, power escalators and any right of first refusal on adjacent space. Get comparison quotes from secondary or regional markets, which may have more room. And reconsider which workloads truly need dedicated colocation versus cloud or a smaller footprint, because every kilowatt you hold is getting more expensive.