Data Centers Add $9 Billion to Ohio Economy

A new Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation report details the economic contributions of data centers across the state.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Data Centers

Large windowless data center building with rooftop cooling units on flat Ohio farmland under overcast sky, with a transmission line across the midground. — The Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation reports data centers added more than $9 billion to the state's GDP last year as Gov. Mike DeWine paused their sales tax exemption. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Ohio require data centers to pay for their own energy and use union labor?

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation released a report finding that data centers contributed more than $9 billion to Ohio's gross domestic product last year. The findings arrive as Gov. Mike DeWine has paused the state's sales tax exemption for data centers.

Why it matters

The report puts a dollar figure on the industry's role in Ohio's economy at a time when the state's sales tax break for data centers is under review. The pause and the report together frame a policy debate over how much the state should give up in tax revenue to attract the industry.

The report, drawing on data center industry consultation but not directly financed by it, cites $108.8 billion in planned construction and equipment spending from 2025 through 2030. Direct data center jobs average $147,700 in pay and benefits across 14,257 positions.

The players

Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation

The research arm of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, a business advocacy organization that publishes economic analyses of the state's industries.

Mike DeWine

The Republican governor of Ohio, who paused the state's sales tax exemption for data centers in May 2026.

Amy Acton

The Democratic governor-elect of Ohio, who has said she wants a moratorium on data centers unless they pay for their own energy and use union labor.

The details

The report found that $96.50 of every $100 in data center property taxes stays with local governments, with around $53 of every $100 going to school districts. A data center bill failed to pass the legislature earlier this year over a dispute about the sales tax break.

May 2026: Gov. Mike DeWine paused the state's data center sales tax exemption.
Earlier in 2026: A data center bill failed to pass the Ohio legislature over the tax break dispute.
2025 through 2030: Planned $108.8 billion in data center construction and equipment spending.

Big Picture

The report quantifies the trade-off at the center of Ohio's sales tax exemption for data centers, which the state has now paused. A projection in the report estimates that a 75% exemption could send $20.4 billion in data center investment to other states.

Changes to Ohio's data center sales tax exemption determine how much state and local revenue is collected from the industry. The report's projections show that a higher or lower exemption would shift both public revenue and job creation in the state.

The takeaway

Ohio's data center debate centers on a trade-off between tax revenue foregone and investment and jobs gained. Residents can weigh how much of the industry's economic value should flow to public budgets versus private developers.