Self Storage Rates Begin to Level Off in March After Steep February Drop

The national self storage market may be finding its footing after a steep winter slide. Prices in March offered a modest recovery, with the national average inching up 0.8% month-over-month, following a sharper 1.5% plunge in February. While the annual rate decrease sits at 0.7%, the drop-off appears to have slowed — for now.

And yet, not all corners of the country are experiencing this same stabilization. Cities in the South and Southeast continue to bear the brunt of price corrections, with places like Frisco, TX, Fayetteville, NC, and Clarksville, TN, posting the most dramatic annual declines. Of the nation’s 150 largest urban areas, nearly half recorded annual rate drops, though 47% saw increases — evidence of a market in flux.

Not every city is battling a glut. St. Petersburg, FL, remains one of the tightest storage markets in the country. Despite no new deliveries in 2024 and none expected in 2025, demand has only grown as rents jumped 9% year-over-year to $164 per month.

Southern markets continue to see price stabilization

The South claims eight out of the top ten cities with the biggest year-over-year rent drops. Frisco, TX, tops the list for the steepest price decline over the past year. With an inventory well below the national average — just 3.7 square feet of storage space per capita — the city’s dramatic drop is all the more eye-catching. Still, being part of the sprawling and competitive Dallas-Fort Worth metro area may be placing outsized pressure on local operators to lower prices to keep pace.

Fayetteville, NC, tells a different story — one of saturation. With an impressive 12.4 square feet of storage per capita, the market has far outbuilt demand — for now. Rents here have dropped 9.3% year-over-year, settling at an average of $107 in March. This trend underscores the impact of oversupply.

Huntsville, AL, and Clarksville, TN, are on a similar footing. Here, the markets are settling down, thanks to high inventory levels leading to steep rate declines. The Southern boom in development has turned into a race where supply is overtaking demand — with the prices to prove it.

Meanwhile, up in the Midwest, rate drops put Akron, OH, among the cities with the very steepest drops. With a more modest 5.2 square feet of storage space per capita, Akron isn’t exactly drowning in supply — but it is shedding residents. A population dip of over 4% in the past five years has dulled demand and contributed to a 5% year-over-year price drop and a steep decline from February.

California and Florida lead in rent increases

With the pandemic-influenced spike in demand now well behind us, the market keeps normalizing. Yet a few pockets of the country are bucking this trend with prices that continue to rise. Nowhere has this shift been more pronounced than in St. Petersburg, FL, which — yet again — posted the highest year-over-year spike in self storage rental rates nationwide.

A popular retirement destination with a growing population, St. Petersburg consistently tops the ranking of annual jumps in self storage rates. In March, rates here soared 9% and pushed the average monthly cost to $164. As the city’s population grows and space remains tight, operators are capitalizing on a constricted market, with just 5.8 square feet of storage available per person — well below the national average.

Farther north, Yonkers, NY, clocked the second-largest rate increase in the country. Storage units there now average $191 per month — outpacing the national average by a wide margin. Unlike St. Petersburg, Yonkers has seen a steady trickle of new inventory over the past two years, and the pipeline isn’t drying up yet–more than 204,000 square feet of new space is scheduled for delivery in 2025. For now, though, with only two square feet of storage per capita, space remains tight, and prices reflect the scarcity of options.

In California, the picture varies, but the story remains rooted in constraint. Fontana, CA, leads the charge with a 7% year-over-year rate increase, while Bakersfield, CA, follows behind. Both cities highlight a broader regional tension — growing demand paired with limited expansion opportunities. Meanwhile, San Francisco, CA, continues to wear the crown as one of the country’s most expensive self storage markets. Average rent here has climbed to $245 per month, driven by chronic inventory shortages, sky-high housing costs, and the unique challenges of dense urban infrastructure. Without room to build outward, prices only have one direction to go: up.

Texas and Florida markets drive nation’s self storage expansion

If you want to know where self storage is headed in 2025, just look at the Sunbelt. In fact, eight of the top ten cities projected to add the most storage space this year call the Sunbelt home. Here, people are relocating in droves, economies are humming, and suburbs are pushing ever outward. The need for extra space grows with every new subdivision, apartment complex and small business storefront.

Texas continues to dominate in terms of self storage development, as San Antonio and Houston lead the country in projected deliveries for 2025. Jacksonville, FL, ranks just behind the Texas leaders, with plans to add 593,000 square feet of storage space this year. As one of Florida’s most rapidly expanding metros, Jacksonville reflects many of the same growth dynamics seen in Texas — rising in-migration, commercial development and an increasing need for flexible storage solutions.

Top Cities for 2025 Construction

Granted, many of these Sunbelt cities already boast hefty inventories. Some are practically overflowing with storage space. But here’s the twist: If people keep coming, so does their stuff — hence, more self storage construction.

Still, not every hot spot for development lies in the South. New York City, NY, and Philadelphia, PA, stand apart from the Sunbelt frenzy, both geographically and strategically. These dense, historic cities play by different rules. There’s little space to build, zoning is tricky and construction costs soar — but the demand never really fades.

Check out how street rates and inventory are looking in the 150 largest cities in the U.S.:

Methodology

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

The article is based on our research into self storage data from our sister division, Yardi Matrix, a business development and asset management tool widely used by brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources for underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self storage sectors.

The report considers the largest 150 cities by population with an active self storage inventory of at least 10 facilities.

This report analyzes self storage rents and deliveries estimates for 2025 based on March 2025 data.

The self storage street rate is calculated as the weighted averages of the street rates for all storage unit sizes, non-climate-controlled and climate-controlled units included.

For the ranking, we analyzed the total rentable square footage within Yardi Matrix’s coverage area, calculating each company’s inventory as a percentage of the nation’s total inventory or each state’s inventory, depending on the scope. The data is accurate as of January 2025.

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

Please note that data and coverage areas may evolve, and actual figures are subject to change.

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 it 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.