Columbus industrial space, the best one-day reach of any market we cover.
Columbus reaches more of the US population overnight than any other market on this site, at one of the lowest rents. That combination is why e-commerce fulfillment concentrated here, and why Intel and the data center build-out followed. Vacancy has fallen sharply over the past year and speculative construction has restarted. The market is moving from a tenant's to a balanced one.
Where the leverage sits right now.
Vacancy fell 270 basis points in a year to 5.2 percent, and rents rose nearly ten percent. The easy concessions of 2024 are gone. What has replaced them is a new speculative wave: Colliers counts 16 projects totaling 7.4 million square feet breaking ground in the quarter, the most since 2022. Those buildings deliver in 2027, and their developers will need tenants. Time a requirement against that pipeline.
Colliers reports that 92 percent of space delivered since 2022 is occupied or leased, averaging 16.4 months to stabilize. A landlord with a building past that mark is behind plan and knows it. We track delivery dates.
On reach, be precise. The Columbus Region markets 45 to 47 percent of the US population within a one-day drive. Our county-level model, applied the same way to every market, puts Columbus at 35.7 percent. That is still the highest figure of any market we publish, and it is the honest one.
What the major brokerages report.
Each firm tracks a slightly different building set, and in some markets a different metric, so the figures differ. We show all of them rather than average them, because an average of three different definitions describes nothing. Where the spread matters to a negotiation, we say so above.
| Firm | Quarter | Vacancy | Asking rent | Net absorption | Under construction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBRE cbre.com | Q2 2026 | 5.2% | $6.76 per sq. ft. | +1.9M sq. ft. | 9.0M sq. ft. pipeline |
| Colliers colliers.com | Q2 2026 | 5.00% direct | n/a | +3.3M sq. ft. | 7.4M sq. ft. of speculative projects broke ground in the quarter |
Reach, infrastructure, and labor.
Share of the US population within 450 road-equivalent miles (one-day ground) and 1,000 miles (two-day ground) of the market center, computed against population-weighted centroids of all 3,125 US counties (2020 Census). Bands approximate FedEx and UPS Ground zone tables within roughly 10 percent and are for comparing markets, not quoting transit times.
Sources: ofis.trade.gov
Where the buildings are.
Groveport, Obetz and the area around Rickenbacker International. Air cargo, the Norfolk Southern intermodal terminal, and the original big-box core.
Hilliard, West Jefferson and Madison County. Large-format distribution along I-70 west, with much of the recent speculative construction.
New Albany, Johnstown and Licking County. The Intel site, data centers and the supply chain forming around them.
I-71 south and the Grove City corridor. Mid-size distribution and manufacturing with strong labor access.
US-33 toward Marysville and Plain City. The Honda supply chain and advanced manufacturing.
The operations that choose Columbus.
We represent tenants and buyers only. No landlord listings in Columbus, so every building in the market is a candidate and every negotiation is on your side of the table. See the operations we serve.
Evaluating Columbus?
Tell us the size, timing, and operation. We will come back with a curated shortlist and a read on where the leverage is in this market right now.