From Alaska to Alabama, the U.S. is home to nearly 50,000 self-storage facilities — outpacing the combined footprint of McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Subway locations nationwide.

At the heart of this growing demand are six key drivers, commonly referred to as the 6 D’s: Downsizing, Dislocation, Death, Divorce — and the more recent additions, Decluttering and Distribution.

StorageCafe’s research team goes beyond anecdotal evidence to identify the forces fueling the self-storage boom, mapping the metro areas where demand is surging due to factors such as population shifts, housing trends, business expansion, and the increasing need for space in urban areas.

Key highlights from the report:

• The West leads self-storage demand with 59 of the top 100 metros (including all top 10), driven by small living spaces, high-density households particularly in California, and storage needs for outdoor recreation gear.
• Self-storage demand is strongest in Carson City, NV, driven by top search interest in downsizing, second-highest searches for self-storage and decluttering, high divorce rates (15%), recent population growth (7%), and a strong small business presence. In response, the city now offers 19 square feet of storage per capita — well above industry standards, with storage rents averaging $118 per month, balancing demand and affordability.
• Tucson, AZ, ranks first among major metros for storage demand, having the smallest average apartment size (772 sq. ft.), ranking #2 for downsizing interest, and boasting a high concentration of college students (8%) and seniors (22%) — all fueling the need for extra space.
• Self-storage demand continues to surge in the South, with 26 metros in the top 100, fueled by migration, economic growth, and the need for climate-controlled space. Texas metros lead the charge — Granbury (#14) ranks high for downsizing, decluttering, and small business storage searches, while Waco (#20) and Abilene (#22) face growing space constraints. In Florida, Vero Beach sees strong demand for downsizing and decluttering. As the South dominates U.S. building permits, self-storage needs are set to increase.

Explore the full data here to help consumers better understand regional pricing variations and availability: https://www.storagecafe.com/blog/the-6-ds-of-self-storage-where-demand-is-strongest-across-the-us/#Map