Self Storage Units – Industry Research, Analysis, Statistics, and Forecasts

SIC 4225 | NAICS 531130

This free online guide to industry research and analysis provides sources for industry statistics, trends, and forecasts, financial ratios, salary surveys, and more.

See the following sections listed below to view available resources by category:

Industry Analysis, Statistics, Trends, and Forecasts

Financial Statements and Financial Ratios

Compensation and Salary Surveys

BV Guides and Databases

For guides to other industries, see our index of over 400 industries.

Industry Analysis, Statistics, Trends, and Forecasts

Industry Research Reports
Self-Storage Services (view report)
Mobile Storage Services (view report)

Comprehensive industry research reports provide in-depth industry analysis and five-year forecasts, with special focus on the underlying structure and external forces and relationships that affect industries and their performance. Topics addressed in the reports include:

Market size and major product and service segments
Key industry statistics, trends, and financial ratios
Operating conditions and current performance
Competitive landscape and environment
Major company profiles and market shares
Five-year outlook and growth forecasts

Sample report and selected industry statistics including market size, five-year average growth rate, number of businesses, and total employment are available free online.

MiniCo, Inc.
Self-Storage Almanac
https://shop.modernstoragemedia.com/

Comprehensive annual reference guide provides detailed statistical data for the self-storage service sector, with topics addressed in the almanac including business overview, customer demographics, unit mix, unit rental rates, occupancy rates, facility management, manager compensation, valuation, investment analysis, bank financing, supply and demand analysis, and occupancy levels by state.

Informa USA, Inc.
Inside Self-Storage
https://www.insideselfstorage.com/

Monthly trade publication features news and information for self-storage facility owners and managers, with special features including the October "Top-Operators List" issue which ranks the top firms in the industry by total square footage and also includes information on top executive, type of firm, number of facilities, number of units, primary brand names, and locations by state and country for each company.

Self Storage Association (SSA)
Resources available from this organization include:

An Introduction to Self Storage
https://www.selfstorage.org/
Introductory whitepaper included in the SSA Public Library section provides an extensive overview of the self-storage business, with topics covered in this publication including historical perspective, real estate characteristics, unit rental rates, growth patterns, costs and operating expenses, construction, financing, supply and demand, facility management, marketing techniques, and legal considerations.

SSA Magazine
https://www.ssamagazine.org/
Monthly trade association magazine features news and information for the self-storage industry, with topics covered in this publication including economic outlook, facility management, customer service, maintenance and renovations, security systems, insurance, software and technology, industry trade shows and conferences, and legislative updates. Digital issues of the magazine are available online.

Self Storage Demand Study
https://www.selfstorage.org/
Comprehensive research study provides in-depth information on who uses self-storage facilities, the reasons why they do so, and for how long from both a consumer and business user standpoint, with detailed survey data broken out by user group (e.g., temporary short-term renters, long-term renters, students, and military renters) and geographic region (e.g., Northeast, South, Midwest, and West).

BizMiner Market Analysis Reports
Mini-Warehouses and Self-Storage Units
https://www.bizminer.com Search for "531130" to see available reports

Market analysis reports provide industry statistics for a user-defined area on a national, state, county, metro area, or zip code level, with data provided including number of companies, market volume and sales trends, average company sales, sales per employee, staffing and employment trends, average employee wage, and business start up activity and failure rates. Sample report can be viewed online.

More industry research reports »

Financial Statements and Financial Ratios

BizMiner Industry Financial Ratios
Mini-Warehouses and Self-Storage Units

https://www.bizminer.com Search for "531130" to see available reports

Five-year financial statement analysis reports provide income statements, balance sheets, and key industry financial ratios for companies of all sizes, with financial data available by sales size range on a national, state, and metropolitan area level including:

Income and expenses in dollars and percentages
Balance sheets in dollars and percentages
Profitability and return on investment ratios
Liquidity and working capital ratios
Asset turnover and efficiency ratios
Capital structure and debt service ratios

Sample financial statement and ratio analysis report is available free online.

Industry Research Reports
Self-Storage Services

(see links for individual reports) (sample spreadsheet)

Key statistics section of these reports provides detailed income statements and balance sheets on a common-size basis and over twenty-five industry financial ratios, with financial ratios provided for the each of the four most recent calendar years and on a historical average basis for 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year time periods. Sample spreadsheet with breakdowns by asset size can be viewed free online.

MiniCo, Inc.
Self-Storage Expense Guidebook
https://shop.modernstoragemedia.com/

Annual guidebook provides operating expense ranges and averages for self-storage properties by geographic region, with expense categories covered in the guidebook including real estate taxes, insurance, on-site management, off-site management, repairs and maintenance, administrative expenses, advertising, utilities, credit card/bank charges, technology, and other office expenses.

More financial benchmarking data »

Compensation and Salary Surveys

Institute of Real Estate Management
Profile and Compensation Study, CPM® Edition
https://www.irem.org/

IREM compensation study provides compensation and benefits information for commercial property managers based on education, level and type of real estate management experience, property types managed (e.g., office buildings, shopping centers, retail properties, medical buildings, warehouses, self-storage facilities, and industrial properties), number of sites managed, and geographic location.

Inside Self-Storage
Self-Storage Manager Compensation Survey
https://store.insideselfstorage.com/

Comprehensive survey provides salary, wage, bonus, and benefits information for individuals who provide day-to-day management of self-storage facilities, with salary and wage data broken out by age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, employment status, developed environment (e.g., urban, suburban, and rural), facility size (net rentable space and number of units), and geographic region.

PayScale, Inc.
Self-Storage Warehousing
https://www.payscale.com/

Free online service provides salary, bonus, and hourly wage rate data for job positions in this real estate sector such as general manager, property manager, facility manager, office manager, and facility rental clerk, with employers for which salary or hourly wage rate data is provided including Public Storage, Inc., Extra Space Storage, Inc., CubeSmart, and U-Haul International (Amerco).

More compensation surveys »

BV Guides and Databases

BVMarketData
Private Company Sales Transaction Databases
https://www.bvresources.com/

Free "Visitor Search" allows users to search the DealStats, BIZCOMPS, and FactSet/BVR databases for private company sales transaction data by SIC or NAICS Code using the following codes:

– SIC Code 4225 - Self-Storage Warehousing

– NAICS Code 531130 - Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units

Types of establishments included in these codes

Self-storage facilities - establishments that rent or lease small to large storage spaces to individuals or businesses that can be used to store belongings and other items that are not frequently used or for which there is not enough space available at home or work.

Mini-storage facilities - establishments primarily engaged in providing small storage units and lockers for individuals or businesses with limited storage needs that are suitable for storing personal goods, seasonal decorations, paper records, and other small items.

Mobile storage facilities - establishments that deliver portable storage containers or units to a customer's location that, after filling, can be kept on-site at the customer's location for easy access or picked up by the service provider and stored in their storage facility.

Business storage facility - establishments catering specifically to business customers by providing storage services for commercial inventory, documents, equipment, or excess furniture that may also offer extended access hours and enhanced security measures.

Climate-controlled storage units - establishments providing units where the temperature and humidity level are regulated to ensure that the temperature remains between 55°F and 80°F, and the humidity level is kept at a safe range, often below 50 to 55 percent.

Indoor storage units - establishments providing units located within an enclosed building or structure that offers additional protection from the elements and often has enhanced security features such as access-controlled entryways and 24-hour video surveillance.

Drive-up storage facility - establishments offering outdoor units that customers can drive their vehicle directly up to for easy loading and unloading of items, which is important to customers who have large or heavy items to store that would not be easy to carry.

Outdoor storage spaces - establishments offering open-air uncovered spaces for storing items that are too large to fit in traditional enclosed storage units, such as automobiles, trucks, boats, watercraft, recreational vehicles, trailers, and construction equipment.

Sample reports with detailed sales transaction data and valuation multiples are available free online.

Appraisal Institute
Self Storage Economics and Appraisal
R. Christian Sonne, Appraisal Institute, 2012
https://ai.appraisalinstitute.org/ Search "PDFs" for title

Comprehensive appraisal guide examines the unique characteristics of this industry and discusses the data and tools needed to perform analyses of these properties, with topics covered in the guide including national trends, market area analysis, market demographics, operational trends, site and building analysis, and applying the cost, sales comparison, and income capitalization approaches.

More valuation data »

Related Industries:
Apartment Rental
Moving Companies
Property Management
General Warehousing

Top