Data CenterDallas-Fort Worth

Data Center Investment in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas-Fort Worth sits third nationally for data center inventory and investment volume. AI demand pushed pricing 18% higher in 2025, but power constraints are getting real. Richardson Telecom Corridor and CyrusOne's legacy holdings dominate the landscape, while newer hyperscale builds chase available power in Mesquite and Grand Prairie. Transaction volume hit $2.8B in 2025, driven by three hyperscale trades above $200M each.

Market Context

Cap Rate Range

4.2%-5.8% for stabilized facilities, with premium single-tenant hyperscale trading below 4%

Current Vacancy

2.8% across all facility types, with wholesale practically zero and retail colocation at 4.1%

Rent Trend

Retail colocation up 22% YoY to $165/kW/month, wholesale power averaging $48/kW/month

Absorption

168MW absorbed in 2025, 40% above five-year average as AI workloads accelerate

Price Per Unit Trend

Price per MW ranges $8.2M-$12.4M depending on redundancy and age, up from $6.8M-$9.1M in 2024

Transaction Volume

$2.8B in 2025 across 14 transactions, with single-asset trades averaging $156M

Submarket Analysis

Richardson Telecom Corridor

4.8%-5.4% cap

Vacancy

1.2%

Avg Rent (1BR)

$172/kW retail, $52/kW wholesale

Limited expansion capacity due to power constraints, existing facilities command premium

OM Tip

Emphasize fiber density - 15+ carriers on-net typical, plus Meet Me Room connectivity

Mesquite/Garland

4.4%-5.2% cap

Vacancy

3.8%

Avg Rent (1BR)

$158/kW retail, $46/kW wholesale

Primary expansion zone with 240MW planned through 2027, Oncor working on additional substations

OM Tip

Document utility agreements and future power allocations - buyers paying 15% premiums for secured capacity

Grand Prairie

5.1%-5.9% cap

Vacancy

4.2%

Avg Rent (1BR)

$148/kW retail, $44/kW wholesale

Emerging hyperscale hub, three 50MW+ facilities under construction, limited retail presence

OM Tip

Focus on PUE ratings and cooling efficiency - newer builds achieving 1.18-1.22 PUE

Irving/Las Colinas

5.2%-6.1% cap

Vacancy

6.1%

Avg Rent (1BR)

$139/kW retail, $41/kW wholesale

Slower absorption but stable enterprise demand, older facilities facing modernization pressure

OM Tip

Highlight any recent infrastructure upgrades - legacy facilities need N+1 redundancy minimum

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What Your OM Needs to Address

Power Infrastructure Detail

Break down utility feeds, transformer capacity, generator backup, and UPS systems with specific MW ratings and redundancy levels

Data to Include

Oncor service agreements, backup generator fuel capacity (hours), UPS battery runtime, any secured future power allocations

Cooling System Documentation

HVAC redundancy levels, PUE ratings by season, chiller capacity, and any liquid cooling infrastructure for high-density deployments

Data to Include

Actual PUE performance over 24 months, cooling capacity per rack, ambient temperature design specs, water usage effectiveness if applicable

Fiber Connectivity Matrix

List all carriers with physical presence, dark fiber availability, and latency to major internet exchanges

Data to Include

Carrier agreements and terms, lit vs dark fiber capacity, latency measurements to Dallas NAP and major cloud on-ramps

Tenant Diversification Analysis

Revenue concentration by tenant type, lease terms, and SLA commitments with actual uptime performance

Data to Include

Tenant credit ratings, cross-connect revenue, managed services revenue, actual vs contracted uptime over 36 months

Expansion Capacity Planning

Available white space, additional power capacity potential, and any zoning or permitting constraints

Data to Include

Utility capacity studies, available land for expansion, current zoning allowances, any approved but unbuilt phases

Operating Cost Breakdown

Electricity costs, maintenance contracts, staffing levels, and insurance costs with benchmarking data

Data to Include

Oncor rate schedules and any demand charges, maintenance contract terms and escalations, 24/7 staffing costs, cyber insurance coverage

Investment Outlook

Short Term

AI demand keeps pushing rents higher, but power availability becomes the limiting factor. Expect 12-15% rent growth through 2026 in submarkets with available capacity. Stabilized assets with secured power will see cap rate compression of 25-40bps.

Medium Term

New utility infrastructure comes online 2027-2029, opening expansion opportunities in Mesquite and potential new submarkets in Denton County. Edge computing requirements drive smaller facility demand, creating opportunities for 5-15MW builds near population centers.

Long Term

DFW cements position as the third hyperscale market after Virginia and Phoenix. Quantum computing and advanced AI create demand for specialized facilities with different infrastructure requirements. Climate resilience becomes a bigger factor as extreme weather events impact operations.

Buyer Profile

REITs dominating stabilized acquisitions above $100M. Private equity targeting value-add opportunities in older facilities needing modernization. Hyperscale operators buying land for build-to-suit, paying $2.8M-$4.2M per acre for sites with utility access.

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