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Markets · Ports · Logistics
Charleston industrial land: data center, port and air-cargo demand
Charleston Harbor is dredged to 52 feet, the deepest on the United States East Coast, with Leatherman Terminal expanding to three berths and 2.4 million TEU. Data as of Q2 2026. Industrial vacancy of 12.9% is the highest in this port coverage set, making it the most tenant-favourable gateway in the country.
Key takeaways
- Charleston Harbor is at 52 feet, the deepest on the US East Coast.
- Leatherman Terminal is expanding to three berths and 2.4 million TEU, with a former paper mill site acquired for an eventual 3.4 million TEU addition.
- A USACE feasibility agreement signed 28 August 2026 covers deepening the Cooper River reach to 52 feet.
- Industrial vacancy is 12.9% with plus 1,322,127 square feet absorbed and $8.17 asking rent (Q2 2026).
A quarterly brief on powered land, port capacity and air-cargo gateways, plus the Powered Land and Gateway Pricing Benchmarks data file.
- Dollar per megawatt and dollar per acre benchmarks by market, with the substation-distance and voltage premiums applied
- Every committed United States port capacity opening from 2026 through 2035, with cost, TEU and date
- Airport-adjacent rent premiums by gateway, and the constraint map that drives them
- The named project pipeline: site, megawatts, developer, power source, status
- Sources and periods for every cell. Nothing unattributed.
Charleston in numbers
| Metric | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Harbor depth | 52 feet, deepest on the US East Coast | Q2 2026 |
| Leatherman Terminal | Three berths, 2.4 million TEU | Q2 2026 |
| Former paper mill site | Acquired for an eventual 3.4 million TEU addition | Q2 2026 |
| Cooper River reach deepening | USACE feasibility agreement to 52 feet | Signed 28 August 2026 |
| Inland Port Greer | $55 million expansion, 50% added capacity, 300,000 annual rail lifts | Completed 2025 |
| Norfolk Southern intermodal | Daily Charleston to Huntsville service | From 11 September 2026 |
| Industrial vacancy | 12.9% | Q2 2026 |
| Industrial net absorption, year to date | plus 1,322,127 sq ft | Q2 2026 |
| Industrial asking rent | $8.17 per sq ft | Q2 2026 |
What buyers are paying for here
Depth is the premium here, and it is structural rather than cyclical. At 52 feet Charleston Harbor is the deepest on the United States East Coast, and the USACE feasibility agreement signed on 28 August 2026 extends that depth up the Cooper River reach.
The second premium is inland reach. Inland Port Greer completed a $55 million expansion in 2025 that added 50% capacity and 300,000 annual rail lifts, and Norfolk Southern began daily Charleston to Huntsville intermodal service on 11 September 2026. A parcel's value is partly a function of which of those moves it can serve.
The third is berth capacity: Leatherman Terminal is expanding to three berths and 2.4 million TEU, with a former paper mill site acquired for an eventual 3.4 million TEU addition. At $8.17 asking rent, buyers are paying for that forward capacity against today's 12.9% vacancy.
Apply the published substation-distance and service-voltage premiums to a parcel in Charleston with the powered land premium calculator.
What is under construction within 100 miles
Leatherman Terminal is expanding to three berths and 2.4 million TEU, and a former paper mill site has been acquired for an eventual 3.4 million TEU addition.
A USACE feasibility agreement signed on 28 August 2026 covers deepening the Cooper River reach to 52 feet, matching the harbor.
Inland, the $55 million Inland Port Greer expansion completed in 2025 added 50% capacity and 300,000 annual rail lifts.
Norfolk Southern started daily Charleston to Huntsville intermodal service on 11 September 2026.
The constraint
Stated honestly: industrial vacancy of 12.9% makes Charleston the most tenant-favourable gateway market in the country right now.
That is a buying signal for occupiers and a timing problem for sellers. The port fundamentals are the strongest on the East Coast, and the building market is the softest in this coverage set. Both are true at once.
For a landowner the implication is to sell the forward capacity rather than the current rent. Plus 1,322,127 square feet of year-to-date absorption at $8.17 is a functioning market, but the argument that moves price is Leatherman's 2.4 million TEU and the 52-foot depth, not the current vacancy print.
Who covers Charleston
Brad Cohen covers Charleston for Landside Partners. Send one parcel and he will return a written read on what it is worth against the demand above, using data as of Q2 2026.
No fee. One parcel. One page. Usually back within five business days.
A quarterly brief on powered land, port capacity and air-cargo gateways, plus the Powered Land and Gateway Pricing Benchmarks data file.
- Dollar per megawatt and dollar per acre benchmarks by market, with the substation-distance and voltage premiums applied
- Every committed United States port capacity opening from 2026 through 2035, with cost, TEU and date
- Airport-adjacent rent premiums by gateway, and the constraint map that drives them
- The named project pipeline: site, megawatts, developer, power source, status
- Sources and periods for every cell. Nothing unattributed.
This research was produced by Landside Partners, a commercial real estate research and advisory firm working with owners of industrial land across North America on data center, seaport and air-cargo demand. To have a specific parcel assessed, contact Brad Cohen at Landside Partners.
Related research
- Markets — Index of the twelve covered metros with each market's headline figure, Q2 2026.
- Northern New Jersey industrial land — Northern New Jersey: Record first-half leasing of 17.2 million square feet, including 8.0 million in the second quarter alone. Data as of Q2 2026.
- Houston industrial land — Houston: Plus 11,891,483 square feet of year-to-date industrial net absorption with Project 11 complete. Data as of Q2 2026.
- Inland Empire industrial land — Inland Empire: Sale pricing holding at a 6.0% cap rate while rents fall 4.85% year on year. Data as of Q2 2026.
- Northern Virginia industrial land — Northern Virginia: 0.2% data center vacancy against 4,496.5 MW of inventory, the largest in the world. Data as of Q2 2026.
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