Data center construction costs for 2025

New data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a one-story data center across 10 U.S. cities for 2025.
July 24, 2025
26 min read

With the dominant need of cloud computing and booming adoption of generative AI tools, data centers have become an essential part of American infrastructure. Many data centers are constructed and updated each year to keep up with the increasing demand for digital information. When building or upgrading these facilities, some of the considerations include location, optimizing operating costs, sustainability and energy costs, and availability. 

To ensure that data centers can meet the current needs and power future innovations, the costs of high-speed connectivity, security, and energy efficiency must be paid. Current, localized construction cost data is crucial for planning future facilities and estimating updates. Many professionals rely on estimating and planning software to create accurate budgets, plan future expansions, ensure timely project completion, and maintain a competitive edge. 

Gordian’s data features over 100 building models, including computer data centers. These localized models allow architects, engineers, and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds. This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for one-story computer data centers. 

Visit rsmeans.com/bdandc for more details about Gordian’s RSMeans Data.

Location

Q2 2020

Q2 2021

Q2 2022

Q2 2023

Q2 2024

Q2 2025

5-Year Change

National Average

$380.66

$384.97

$409.48

$447.91

$468.66

$496.81

30.51%

Palo Alto, Calif.

$509.54

$526.60

$592.16

$587.14

$607.47

$668.68

31.23%

Chicago

$479.82

$480.00

$549.85

$543.94

$567.87

$600.24

25.10%

Newark, N.J.

$473.16

$472.84

$538.47

$536.83

$551.48

$585.66

23.78%

Boston

$455.72

$451.59

$535.48

$528.81

$544.81

$575.49

26.28%

Ann Arbor, Mich.

$390.88

$384.38

$442.18

$437.71

$449.98

$465.09

18.99%

Fairfax, Va.

$358.46

$354.45

$414.73

$413.97

$424.72

$450.12

25.57%

Denver

$344.78

$344.24

$405.68

$405.05

$418.04

$444.62

28.96%

Atlanta

$333.39

$332.79

$397.53

$398.15

$407.34

$427.97

28.37%

Phoenix

$326.67

$327.28

$396.57

$396.43

$411.84

$437.29

33.86%

Dallas

$313.77

$312.82

$372.01

$370.50

$384.28

$398.64

27.05%

 

 

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