How Central Ohio's Data Center Boom Is Reshaping the Housing Market

August 11, 2026•8 min read

How Central Ohio's Data Center Boom Is Reshaping the Housing Market

By Amy Warren, Ohio REALTOR®Drive east out of Columbus toward Johnstown or New Albany right now and you will see cranes before you see cornfields. Central Ohio has become one of the fastest-growing data center corridors in the country, with tens of billions of dollars in investment reshaping land that was farmland a decade ago. That kind of growth does not stay contained to the tech industry. It is already showing up in home prices, buyer competition, and the day-to-day reality for homeowners who live near the construction. Here is what is actually happening and what it means if you own or are shopping for a home in the affected areas.

The Scale of the Investment

The numbers involved are enormous. Meta has committed roughly $6 billion to data center development in the region, including its Prometheus campus in New Albany, which is expected to be one of the world's highest-capacity data centers when it comes online in 2026, according toNBC4. Cologix has announced plans to invest $7 billion across eight data centers covering roughly 2 million square feet in Licking County. Microsoft has invested about $1 billion in campuses spanning New Albany and the Heath-Hebron area, with construction resuming in early 2026 after a brief pause. Google, Amazon Web Services, QTS, EdgeConneX, and CyrusOne also operate or are developing facilities in the New Albany International Business Park region, drawn in part by significant state and local tax incentives.

That kind of capital does not just build server farms. It reshapes roads, strains water and power infrastructure, and drives demand for construction workers and support staff who need somewhere to live, all within commuting distance of a corridor that was largely rural not long ago.

What Is Happening to Home Prices

Spectrum News reported in August 2026that the median sale price in the Johnstown-Monroe Local School District rose from $270,000 in 2020 to $425,000 in 2025, citing Columbus Realtors data. That is a jump of more than 57 percent in five years. Local Realtor Tammy Hendren, who was interviewed for that report, was careful to note that home prices rose across Central Ohio broadly over that period, so the increase cannot be attributed solely to data center development. But she also pointed to something specific happening in Johnstown: a limited supply of newly built homes, combined with continued interest from residents displaced by data center buyouts and demand from investors, has added real pressure on top of the region-wide trend.

"It did increase the values of a lot of the homes, though, because a lot of investors were looking here at that point," Hendren told Spectrum News.

The Human Side of the Boom

Not every part of this story is about rising equity. Spectrum News profiled Theresa Piper, a Johnstown homeowner whose ranch home sits beside an active data center construction site. Developers have purchased and cleared several nearby homes to make way for the Cologix campus and related infrastructure, but her property was not included in those purchases. She said construction traffic now funnels past her house daily, and cranes from the nearby project are visible from her backyard.

Hendren noted that many homeowners who did accept buyout offers still want to stay in the community, which increases competition for the homes that remain. For homeowners like Piper who are not part of a buyout but are living adjacent to active construction, the situation is more complicated: staying means adapting to a changed neighborhood, while a comparable move within the same area can mean a significantly higher price tag than what they originally paid.

What This Means If You Are Buying in the Data Center Corridor

If you are house hunting in Licking County or the eastern edge of Franklin County, it is worth understanding exactly where a property sits relative to planned and active data center development before you fall in love with it. Proximity can cut both ways: some buyers are drawn to the area specifically because of the job growth and infrastructure investment, while others are surprised by construction noise, truck traffic, or future development they did not know was planned nearby. A little research into what is approved and under construction near a specific address can save you from an unwelcome surprise after closing. For a broader look at how to evaluate a neighborhood before you commit, seeHow to Find the Right Ohio Neighborhood for You.

What This Means If You Are Selling Near a Data Center Development

If your home sits within a growth corridor but away from active construction, you are likely benefiting from the broader demand pushing prices up across the school district, and pricing your home in line with recent comparable sales rather than older, pre-boom data matters more than ever. If your home is directly adjacent to a construction site, expect that proximity to factor into buyer interest and be prepared to discuss it honestly rather than hoping buyers will not notice. In either case, an accurate, current comparable analysis specific to your address is the starting point. If you are weighing whether now is the right time to sell given how quickly this market is moving,What the News Won't Tell You About the Housing Market in Central Ohiocovers the broader regional pricing picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much data center investment is coming to Central Ohio?

Billions of dollars. Meta has committed roughly $6 billion to data center development including its Prometheus campus in New Albany, expected to be one of the world's highest-capacity data centers when it comes online in 2026. Cologix has announced plans to invest $7 billion across eight data centers in Licking County, and Microsoft has invested about $1 billion in campuses in the New Albany and Heath-Hebron area. Google, Amazon Web Services, QTS, EdgeConneX, and CyrusOne also operate or are developing facilities in the New Albany International Business Park region.

How has the data center boom affected home prices in Johnstown, Ohio?

The median sale price in the Johnstown-Monroe Local School District rose from $270,000 in 2020 to $425,000 in 2025, according to Columbus Realtors data reported by Spectrum News. Home prices rose across all of Central Ohio over that period, so the increase cannot be attributed solely to data center development, but limited new construction, developer buyouts, and investor interest tied to the projects have added real pressure to the local market.

Are data center developers buying homes near their construction sites?

In some cases, yes. Developers building data center campuses in Licking County have purchased and cleared homes near active construction sites to make way for facilities and supporting infrastructure. Homeowners who accept buyout offers often want to remain in the same community, which increases competition for the homes that remain and adds to local price pressure.

Is it a good time to sell a home near a Central Ohio data center development?

It depends heavily on the specific property and its distance from active construction. Homes directly adjacent to a data center site can see reduced buyer interest due to noise, truck traffic, and construction activity, even while overall values in the broader school district rise. Homes farther from active sites but still in the same growth corridor are generally benefiting from the added demand. A local market analysis specific to your address is the only reliable way to know where your home falls on that spectrum.

Wondering What This Means for Your Specific Property?

Whether you are trying to understand how a nearby data center project might affect your home's value, or you are house hunting in the Licking County growth corridor and want to know what is planned near a property you are considering, I can help you get the real picture. Reach out [email protected].

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If you're starting your home search or just want to experience what a thoughtful, welcoming open house feels like, I'd love to connect. I can share a list of upcoming open houses in Columbus and Central Ohio or help you schedule a private showing tailored to your needs.

Whether you're a year out or just starting to picture the next chapter, I'd love to talk through what it could look like. My free Buyer's Guide is a good starting point, and if you want the fuller breakdown of the financial side, Downsizing in Ohio: A Practical Guide for Empty Nesters walks through equity, home types, and timing. Reach out at [email protected] whenever you're ready.

Amy Warren is a licensed Ohio REALTOR® serving buyers and sellers across Plain City, Dublin, Powell, and Central Ohio. She started her real estate career in 2016 as a Transaction Coordinator in Denver, where she helped close over 650 transactions before relocating to Central Ohio in 2022 and earning her Ohio license in 2025. Visit amywarrenohiorealtor.com.

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