You should budget about $7 million to $12 million per MW to build a modern data center, or roughly $600 to $1,100 per square foot overall. Both have been trending upward. Several factors drive data center. Land Cost Trends: While the weighted average cost of data center land has decreased to $5. 59 per square foot ($244,000 per acre) in 2024, prices for parcels 50 acres or larger have surged by 23% from 2023. Increasing Parcel Sizes: Average data center land transactions have grown to 224 acres. What is the average cost of building a 1 MW data center? Typically between $7–12 million, depending on region and tier level. How much do cooling systems add to costs? Cooling can account for 30–40% of total infrastructure costs. Can lighting really impact overall costs? Yes. The final number depends on power density, redundancy requirements, and market conditions.
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