Average square footage per data center
New data center sizes remained roughly the same from 2005 to 2014, averaging about 50,000 square feet per facility — about the size of a typical warehouse. Since then, they have grown dramatically. By 2025, data centers averaged nearly 200,000 square feet per facility, which is comparable to an entire research campus.
Number of Great Lakes states data center
Source: Weldon Cooper Center analysis of S&P data
Active data centers
368
Active data centers plus those under construction or announced
1,106
Metra
-37%
Pace bus*
-35%
Note: Weekly RTA change are estimates.
Note: Data as of March 11 in the eight Great Lakes states
Average square footage per data center
Active data centers
364