How We Rank IOS Markets
The best IOS markets combine tight vacancy, strong rent growth, diverse and durable tenant demand, liquid transaction environments, and scalable investment opportunity. Our 2025 ranking weights these factors to identify the markets where IOS investors and brokers are most likely to find productive opportunities.
#1: Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas leads all US IOS markets in 2025 for transaction volume, deal activity, and institutional capital concentration. The DFW metro's central logistics position, extensive highway infrastructure, deep industrial land supply, and diverse tenant base across trucking, construction, energy, and retail distribution create the ideal IOS market conditions. Average rent: $5,800/acre/month. Vacancy: ~2.3%. Key investors: Alterra IOS, Zenith IOS, Triten. See our full Dallas IOS market guide.
#2: Houston
Houston's energy sector and Port of Houston create unique IOS demand that doesn't exist at comparable scale in any other US market. The Ship Channel corridor, Northwest Houston logistics cluster, and Katy/I-10 corridor each generate distinct tenant demand from energy services, petrochemical, and intermodal operators. Average rent: $5,200/acre/month. Vacancy: ~2.8%. See our Houston IOS market guide.
#3: Los Angeles / Long Beach
Port proximity drives LA IOS rents to the highest levels nationally. Sites within 5 miles of the Ports of LA/Long Beach command $7,000-$8,000+ per acre per month from container operators and intermodal logistics providers. Supply is severely constrained by land costs and development pressure. Average rent: $7,200/acre/month. Vacancy: ~1.8%. See our Los Angeles IOS market guide.
#4: Northern New Jersey
Northern NJ is the gateway to the New York metro market — the largest consumption market in the US — and home to the Port of New York/New Jersey. IOS vacancy is effectively zero for quality sites. Average rent: $6,800/acre/month. Vacancy: ~2.0%. See our New Jersey IOS market guide.
#5: Miami
Miami's position as the hub of US-Latin America trade creates strong IOS demand from international logistics operators, container handlers, and freight forwarders. PortMiami expansion has driven significant logistics infrastructure development in Miami-Dade. Average rent: $6,500/acre/month. Vacancy: ~2.2%. See our Miami IOS market guide.
#6: Atlanta
Atlanta is the fastest-growing IOS market in the Southeast, driven by population growth, Amazon and e-commerce distribution buildout, and Hartsfield-Jackson cargo activity. I-285 and I-85 create a logistics spine that generates strong IOS demand across multiple submarkets. Average rent: $4,800/acre/month. Vacancy: ~3.0%. See our Atlanta IOS market guide.
#7: Chicago
Chicago is the largest intermodal hub in North America, served by six Class I railroads. IOS demand from container operators, rail-adjacent logistics providers, and the city's massive truck-dependent distribution economy keeps vacancy tight. Average rent: $5,500/acre/month. Vacancy: ~2.5%. See our Chicago IOS market guide.
#8: Savannah
The Port of Savannah is the fastest-growing container port in the US, having surpassed Seattle, Baltimore, and Norfolk in recent years. Port expansion — the Mason Mega Rail Terminal and ongoing berth deepening — is driving explosive IOS demand in the Savannah market. Average rent: $3,800/acre/month. Vacancy: ~3.5%. See our Savannah IOS market guide.
#9: Seattle
Seattle combines Port of Seattle container traffic, tech sector logistics demand, and significant Boeing/aerospace supply chain activity to create diverse IOS tenant demand. I-5 and SR-99 industrial corridors are the primary IOS submarkets. Average rent: $5,800/acre/month. Vacancy: ~2.8%. See our Seattle IOS market guide.
#10: Phoenix
Phoenix has emerged as a major IOS market driven by semiconductor manufacturing (TSMC, Intel, Samsung), data center buildout, and infrastructure construction activity. Average rent: $4,200/acre/month. Vacancy: ~3.2%. See our Phoenix IOS market guide.
#11: Nashville
Nashville's industrial growth wave — driven by the Volkswagen, Ford, and GM electric vehicle manufacturing investments in Tennessee — is creating unprecedented IOS demand from construction contractors, parts suppliers, and logistics operators. Supply of IOS-zoned land is limited relative to demand growth. Average rent: $4,500/acre/month. Vacancy: ~3.5%. See our Nashville IOS market guide.
#12: Denver
Denver benefits from federal infrastructure spending, Rocky Mountain energy sector activity, and a growing tech sector logistics base. I-70 and I-25 industrial corridors are the primary IOS submarkets. Average rent: $4,800/acre/month. Vacancy: ~3.0%. See our Denver IOS market guide.
#13: Charlotte
Charlotte is a rising Southeast IOS market, driven by manufacturing growth, the I-85 auto corridor, and the city's expanding role as a distribution hub for the Southeast. Average rent: $4,200/acre/month. Vacancy: ~3.5%. See our Charlotte IOS market guide.
#14: Las Vegas
Las Vegas IOS demand is driven by the massive construction boom in the Nevada market — Formula 1, MLB, NFL, data centers, and resort expansion — along with the market's position as a distribution hub for the Southwest. Average rent: $4,500/acre/month. Vacancy: ~3.8%. See our Las Vegas IOS market guide.
Finding IOS Sites in Any of These Markets
CRE Intel covers all 14 markets in this ranking, enabling users to draw search polygons in any of these metros and instantly identify every IOS-eligible site, scored and analyzed. Join the waitlist to access the platform. For more IOS market context, read our 2025 IOS market overview.