November 2025 self storage report: Rents stay flat nationally, while 61% of big cities see rent surges

In November 2025, self storage rent ($133) remained flat year-over-year, posting a mild 0.7% decrease compared to October rates. That’s in line with the industry’s typically decreased demand during the slowest season, compounded by high existing inventories and reduced moved-in activity resulting from the sluggish housing market. However, rents are rising in 61% of the 150 largest cities. While national average rents point to stabilization, demand remains resilient in select markets on the East Coast and the South.

Looking deeper, market conditions differ widely at the local level. Boston, MA, posted the highest rent increase, with a combination of low supply and existing demand helping to bolster jumping rates. On the other hand, Shreveport, LA, came close in terms of rent growth while boasting a balanced market in terms of supply.

Half of top 10 cities for rent increases are on the East Coast

Self storage rates saw the steepest increases across East Coast cities, claiming half of the top 10 cities for rent surges. These are mostly undersupplied markets – with inventories below 7 square feet per capita, the national benchmark for a balanced market. In these cities, demand typically outweighs supply, which ultimately helps rents to climb.

Boston, MA, saw the steepest rent increase, a robust 14% jump year-over-year. This notable leap likely owes much to the city’s relatively tight supply pipeline of only 0.7 square feet of self storage per resident — one of the lowest levels among large U.S. cities. Thus, Boston is set to keep competition fierce among renters and small businesses needing extra space. No new construction has been scheduled in the city in 2025.

Top 10 Cities for Street Rate Growth

Further up the leader board, Newport News, VA, posted a 7.4% jump in annual rent, bringing local storage to $119/month. This is a town known for its stable military, shipbuilding, and port related employment base, all of which help sustain demand for self storage. These factors, combined with steady migration and population trends, have contributed to higher occupancy and stronger pricing power for operators.

Still on the East Coast, the population in Port St. Lucie, FL, exploded in the last five years, increasing by over 33%. While the city has about 6.4 square feet per capita, which points to proximity to an almost balanced market at 7 square feet per capita, recent population changes indicate that demand exceeds supply, contributing to the increase in rates. To address local demand, the city is scheduled to see almost 205,000 square feet added to its total inventory by the end of the year.

Over in the South, Shreveport, LA, notched a double-digit 11.6% annual increase, the second-highest rate increase in our top. This brings a Shreveport unit to about $91/month. The city’s more affordable housing market is likely contributing to this substantial increase. Shreveport’s considerable self storage supply of 12.4 square feet per capita is well beyond the national average, but the city is bound to add close to 39,000 square feet of storage by the end of 2025 – signaling healthy existing demand for the service.

The South and the West in a tight race for storage rent plunges

Southern and Western cities are going neck-to-neck for the highest rent decreases, with each region taking one half of the top 10 cities for street rate drops. These are cities with historically competitive housing markets that have become more difficult to buy into. As a result, the slower current housing market contributed to lower self storage rates.

Top 10 Cities With Steepest Street Rate Drops
Cape Coral, FL, experienced the largest year-over-year rent drop, with rates falling 7.3% y-o-y in November 2025. The city has a little over 8 square feet of storage space per resident, suggesting a well-supplied market that likely put downward pressure on existing rates. Cape Coral storage averages about $154/month.

A little up north, Fayetteville, NC, also posted a steep 6.3% decrease year-over-year. With a healthy inventory of 12.6 square feet of storage per capita, the existing supply was likely to outpace demand, helping to bring down rents. In 2025, the city saw no new development activity.

Further south, Huntsville, AL, also has a high inventory of 13.6 square feet per capita, which has aided the 4% annual rent drop. This brought a Huntsville unit to about $95/month. The city also saw an impressive 13% jump in population over the last five years, helping to further fuel construction. Consequently, by the end of 2025, Huntsville will see the addition of almost 317,000 square feet of self storage space.

Out West, Spring Valley, NV, took the third spot on the podium, with a street rate drop of 5.9% y-o-y. As a result, a Spring Valley unit stands at $140/month. While the city is severely undersupplied with only 0.7 square feet per capita, no new facilities were scheduled for delivery in 2025.

The Sunbelt reigns over new supply, with San Antonio, TX, taking the lead enters 2025 with the biggest wave of new supply

The Sunbelt continues to hold a strong lead in upcoming construction, with eight of the top 10 cities for forecasted development located in the region, even in markets that are already well-supplied. Strong local economies, continuous urban growth and steady population increases help to support this trend.

Texas is spearheading this trend, with two cities from the Lone Star State among the top 5 cities for upcoming construction. San Antonio, TX, claimed the top spot, with an estimated delivery of 656,000 square feet by the end of 2025. This surge follows several years of robust population growth and steady economic expansion, which encouraged developers to keep projects in the pipeline. Houston is the other top Texas city, with an upcoming supply standing at 499,900 square feet for 2025. Long a hub for population inflows and real estate activity, Houston, TX, has seen strong demand for additional storage — yet the surge of new development may ultimately shift the balance toward renters as competition ticks up.

Over in California, Los Angeles also stood out, introducing 629,555 square feet of new supply before the end of 2025. This is a welcome addition to the city’s extremely low inventory of 2.1 square feet per capita. That’s despite the city adding new square footage in 2023 and 2024 as well. With high residential real estate costs and steady demand from both individuals and small businesses, the region’s new facilities have helped address a persistent space crunch.

Outside of the Sunbelt, New York City, NY, continues to see strong development with 601,900 square feet to be added in 2025. This construction activity comes on the heels of a hiatus in 2023 and 2024, and also addresses the severe local undersupply, with only 2.1 square feet of space per capita.

Similarly, Seattle is another undersupplied city, with only 4.3 square feet of self storage space, much behind what a balanced market should offer. The city is scheduled to add close to 314,000 square feet of storage space to the local pipeline in 2025. This is an amped up construction level, more than double the combined deliveries in 2023 and 2024.

Top Cities for 2025 Construction

In November 2025, the national self storage market continued to walk a fine line between stabilization and localized momentum. While average rents held steady overall, the fact that nearly two-thirds of major cities posted increases highlights how uneven supply and demand remain across the country. Tight, undersupplied markets — particularly along the East Coast — are still giving operators room to push rates higher, even as well-supplied Sunbelt and Western cities contend with pricing pressure tied to slower housing activity and rising inventories.

Check out how self storage street rates changed across the largest cities in the U.S. in November 2025 below:

Self Storage Street Rate Changes

Methodology

This analysis was conducted by RentCafe Self Storage, an online platform offering nationwide listings for apartments and storage units.

This report considers self storage rents and forecasted construction for 2025 based on November 2025 data.

The report features the 150 most populous cities that have a self storage inventory of at least 10 units. The self storage street rate is calculated as the weighted averages of the street rates for all storage unit sizes, including both non-climate-controlled and climate-controlled units included.

For data on population changes, we turned to the U.S. Census (2018–2023 dataset).

Data on self storage street rates, deliveries and 2024 forecasted construction activity came from our sister division Yardi Matrix, a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self storage sectors.

Fair use and distribution

This study is intended as a resource for the general public on topics of common interest and should not be considered investment advice. The data presented is accurate to the best of our knowledge, based on thorough and good-faith research, but may change due to external factors.

We permit the distribution of this content, provided that proper attribution is given to “RentCafe Self Storage” with a link back to the research study.

Want to explore how this trend has developed over time? Check out our previous reports for historical data and insights on the topic:

• October self storage report: Prices hold steady with a 1.0% national year-over-year rise
• September 2025 self storage report: Prices rise 1.5% year-over-year in September, even as monthly rates drift
• August 2025 Self Storage Report: Self Storage Records Second Month Of Rent Stabilization, as 63% of Major Cities Post Street Rate Growth
• July 2025 Self Storage Report: National Rates Flat, Sun Belt Prices Still Sliding Amid Supply Surge
• May 2025 Marks Turning Point for Self Storage Rates After Years of Corrections
• Self Storage Rates Stabilize, Registering Only a Mild 0.7% Decrease in April
• Self Storage Rates Begin to Level Off in March After Steep February Drop