(Jan 25): Northern Virginia no longer stands alone as the world’s most desirable data centre location, with Portland sharing the top spot for the first time this year.

Portland jumped nine spots in a world ranking, tied with Northern Virginia — the top performer in the three previous versions for the first time, according to a 2023 annual report by global real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Singapore and Hong Kong were ranked third and fourth, the only Asian Pacific markets making into the top 10 overall rankings.

“This is due to the rapid expansion of hyperscale activity in the Hillsboro submarket as well as relatively favoruable pricing, sustainability options, low environmental risk and more available land,” Cushman & Wakefield observed for Portland’s advantages in the global centre markets. 

Rounding out the top 10 markets are other US metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle. New Asia Pacific entrants Johor, Manila and Hyderabad joined the list this year, along with a growing interest in Middle Eastern data center markets due to their proximity to major technology and government hubs.

The annual report ranks data center hubs across the globe based on 13 factors, with market size, fiber connectivity and cloud availability given higher weights. Other factors include incentives, political stability and sustainability.