US Self-Storage Industry Now Generates Over $50 Billion Annually
2026-02-09
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The U.S. self-storage industry now generates more than $50 billion in annual revenue across over 60,000 facilities and more than 2 billion net rentable square feet, according to a comprehensive 2026 industry statistics report.
Roughly 70% of facilities remain independently owned, though that share is shrinking as REITs and private equity firms accelerate acquisitions of smaller, non-institutional operators. Institutional operators reported average occupancy near 92% in the report, compared with roughly 82% across the industry overall, reflecting a meaningful performance gap between large operators and smaller independents.
New supply is estimated to peak at 51.1 million net rentable square feet in 2026, after which the report expects the construction pipeline to moderate meaningfully due to higher construction costs, tighter lending conditions, and local zoning restrictions.
For consumers, a national average 10x10 storage unit price of roughly $119 per month was cited elsewhere in 2026 reporting, though rates vary significantly by region and whether a unit is climate-controlled. Use our free SpacU Fit Score calculator to estimate exactly what size unit your belongings require before comparing local rates.