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InsightHorizon Digest

How much land is needed for a self storage business

Author

Isabella Browning

Updated on April 14, 2026

A three- to five-mile area is the typical size of a market for a self-storage facility.

What is the average size of a storage facility?

The average (mean) size of a “primary” self storage facility in the US is approximately 56,900 square feet. Of over 10,000 facilities surveyed, approximately 6,000 are single-story facilities and approximately 4,000 are multi-story facilities.

How do you calculate demand for self storage?

First, multiply the population (30,000) by the maximum square feet per person (8) to determine the maximum square feet needed at equilibrium (240,000). Next, subtract the existing square feet in the market (143,000) from the square feet needed at equilibrium (240,000). The remaining unmet demand is 97,000 square feet.

Are storage lots profitable?

Typically, a self-storage facility still makes a profit at 60% to 70% of full occupancy. Currently, the industry average occupancy stands near 90%, according to Statista. … Many self-storage owners run family operations. However, those not interested in hands-on management simply hire a qualified manager.

What is the demand for storage units?

The industry-wide demand remains high at average occupancy rates still above 92 percent in 2020, according to the 2021 Self Storage Almanac. The occupancy rate remains high despite the increased supply of net rentable space now totaling about 58 million square feet industry-wide.

Who is the largest self storage company?

  1. Public Storage. As the largest owner of self-storage facilities in the United States, Public Storage has more than 2,400 locations throughout North America and Europe. …
  2. ExtraSpace Storage. …
  3. U-Haul. …
  4. CubeSmart. …
  5. Life Storage. …
  6. National Storage Affiliates. …
  7. StorageMart. …
  8. Prime Storage Group.

Is owning a storage facility a good investment?

While growth rates are projected to remain steady, the self-storage industry has a strong track record of a high return on investment for most facilities. From 2009 to 2018, self-storage facilities averaged an annual ROI of 16.9%. This number was higher than office, industrial, retail or apartments during that time.

How much is the self-storage industry worth?

Value of self-storage market worldwide 2020-2026 By 2026, the global self-storage market is forecast to be worth 64.71 billion U.S. dollars, up from 48.02 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. In 2018, the U.S. dominated the market accounting for 90 percent of self-storage inventory worldwide.

Is self-storage a growing industry?

The industry has been growing in recent years. According to the US Census Bureau, construction spending on self-storage has increased by 584% from January 2015 to January 2020. Further, the demand has increased owing to the pandemic and its impacts.

What is the future of self-storage?

Despite today’s economic challenges, the self-storage industry is expected to see an increase in demand. It has demonstrated tenacity in the face of a volatile market, and forecasts indicate that it will be worth more than it was last year by 2024.

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Is self-storage considered commercial or industrial?

The overall commercial real estate umbrella includes but is not limited to apartments, land, retail properties, churches, theme parks, schools, marinas, self-storage facilities, government real-estate, industrial properties, and office spaces.

What percent of Americans rent storage space?

U.S. self-storage sector snapshotDataNumber of storage facilities (range)49,000+Total rentable self-storage space1.9 billion square feetSelf-storage space per person5.9 square feetPercentage of households that rent a self-storage unit10.6 percent

How much does the storage industry make?

These facilities are the foundation of the U.S. self-storage industry, which was projected to generate $37 billion in revenue in 2019. At each of these self-storage facilities, people pay rent — usually by the month — to store their stuff in units of various sizes.

What state has the most storage units?

In 2020, there were 5,234 self-storage facilities in Texas, making it the state with the highest number of such facilities in the United States. California also had a high number, with 3,728 self-storage facilities.

Why is self-storage booming?

The increased demand for self-storage facilities is at least partly due to the increasing rate of urbanization around the world. As people move to living spaces in cities, they typically have less space for all their possessions. Downsizing to smaller homes in any location also plays a large role in the storage market.

What is the most popular size storage unit?

The 10’x10′ is the most popular storage unit size because of its versatility. It’s a medium-sized space that amounts to about one-hundred square feet or about half the size of a standard garage. You can comfortably fit the contents of a two-bedroom apartment and all the boxes and totes that go with them.

How do you increase occupancy in self-storage?

  1. Get your website up and ready before your facility is.
  2. Rent units on your website.
  3. Use your webpage to tell your story.
  4. Be open to reservations before your business is.
  5. Use Facebook to target your ads.
  6. Your Storage Facility Occupancy Depends on You.

How many self-storage facilities are there in the US?

In 2019, there were 47,863 self-storage facilities in the United States, up from 45,547 facilities in the previous year.

Why are there so many storage units?

Millennials moving into increasingly crowded, high-demand downtowns require extra space. A wave of downsizing baby boomers needs a place to put a lifetime of accumulated memories. Small businesses want room to store excess inventory. The confluence of these trends has created a building spree.

How many units is considered commercial?

A commercial property is any property that has commercial businesses as tenants or a multifamily complex with 5 or more units.

What is storage zoning?

Zoning is a fabric-based service in a storage area network (SAN) that groups together hosts and storage nodes that require communication. The essential requirement for performing zoning is that the nodes can communicate only if they are members of the same zone.

Is Self Storage A retail use?

When it comes to self storage, most people think of the basic service: providing units for people to store their extra belongings. … In self storage, that means storage supplies you sell in your main office. In other words, the retail side of your business.