Tech Firms Find Good Office Deals in OH

Columbus plans to bring more parkland and recreational space to its riverfront, making the urban core more appealing to the younger tech workforce.

CLEVELAND—The tech business has famously been one in which scrappy start-ups regularly discover something new and upend the industry. But these days those start-ups are finding it very difficult to afford space in national tech hubs such as Silicon Valley, which have become among the most expensive markets in the US. Even relatively established players sometimes feel squeezed by the high rents, and some have started looking for space in secondary or even tertiary markets that won’t drain their bank accounts.

And according to the newest technology office outlook report from JLL, the best deals for tech firms can be found in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. All three were rated even cheaper that Detroit, a city which already hosts a nascent tech industry.