San Diego Self Storage Market Statistics:
Self storage has become crucial for navigating major life events. It can be particularly useful for events such as moving, downsizing and when changes in household composition occur, as well as when engaging in home remodeling projects and organizational endeavors. San Diego offers plenty of self storage options to cater to all needs and budgets.
How much does a storage unit cost in San Diego, CA?
Currently, the average cost of a 10x10 storage unit in San Diego is $178/month, a decrease of 1.7% compared to last year. Nationally, self storage street rates for 10×10 non-climate-controlled units saw a 1.6% year-over-year decrease, registering an average of $121 in February, 2025.
San Diego self storage prices by unit size
Besides the standard 10x10 unit, the San Diego self storage market includes several other types of units that can vary in terms of size and amenities, and naturally, price.
For instance, a 5x5 self storage unit in San Diego rents for $75, while a 5x10 unit would cost $106/month. Average street rates for a 10x20 unit stand at $336/month. Non-climate-controlled units typically come with lower price tags than their climate-controlled counterparts of the same size.
| Unit Size | Avg. Street Rate |
|---|---|
| 5x5 | $75 |
| 5x10 | $106 |
| 10x10 | $178 |
| 10x15 | $247 |
| 10x20 | $336 |
| 10x30 | $439 |
| Unit Size | Avg. Street Rate |
|---|---|
| 5x5 | $87 |
| 5x10 | $113 |
| 10x10 | $175 |
| 10x15 | $254 |
| 10x20 | $329 |
| 10x30 | $400 |
* Average monthly rates for San Diego in February 2025.
Average storage unit cost in San Diego by neighborhood
Self storage prices can vary depending on location as some neighborhoods might offer more budget-friendly self storage rates than others.
You can find cheap San Diego storage units in Torrey Pines Preserve, where the standard self storage unit goes for $156/mo. on average, in Fairmont Park, where renters pay $160/mo. on average, and in Palm City, where the average street rates hover around $165/mo.
If you’re looking for other great deals, check out self storage listings, and their average street rates, in Barrio Logan ($175) and Rolando ($176).
Other neighborhoods, on the other hand, come with higher street rates. The most expensive neighborhood in San Diego is Rancho Bernardo with a monthly average street rate of $311, followed by Bernardo Springs.
| # | Neighborhood | Average Street Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torrey Pines Preserve | $156 |
| 2 | Fairmont Park | $160 |
| 3 | Palm City | $165 |
| 4 | Barrio Logan | $175 |
| 5 | Rolando | $176 |
| 6 | Miramar | $178 |
| 7 | Sorrento Valley | $188 |
| 8 | Midtown San Diego | $189 |
| 9 | Allied Gardens | $192 |
| 10 | Mission Hills | $193 |
| # | Neighborhood | Average Street Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rancho Bernardo | $311 |
| 2 | Bernardo Springs | $305 |
| 3 | Carmel Mountain | $283 |
| 4 | Egger Highlands | $252 |
| 5 | Ocean View Hills | $238 |
| 6 | Encanto | $237 |
| 7 | Mission Valley West | $227 |
| 8 | Grantville | $227 |
| 9 | Oak Park | $226 |
| 10 | Pacific Beach | $219 |
Compare average storage prices in San Diego neighborhoods
Want to find the best self storage deals? Browse listings in your preferred San Diego neighborhoods and San Diego Zip Codes for more details on what’s available and compare rent prices, unit sizes and amenities.
How San Diego, CA, Self Storage Compares With Other Cities
How self storage costs in San Diego compare to prices in other nearby cities
Check out the table below to see how self storage in San Diego compares rent-wise to other places within a 50-mile radius.
| # | City | Average Street Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA Mesa, CA | $197 |
| 2 | Chula Vista, CA | $186 |
| 3 | National City, CA | $183 |
| 4 | San Diego, CA | $178 |
| 5 | Santee, CA | $170 |
| 6 | Lakeside, CA | $170 |
| 7 | El Cajon, CA | $167 |
| 8 | Poway, CA | $164 |
| 9 | Spring Valley, CA | $146 |
| 10 | LA Jolla, CA | $141 |
Average street rates for non-climate-controlled 10x10 units for February 2025.
How self storage costs in San Diego compare to rates in other sought-after cities in the US
Check out the table below to see how self storage rent in San Diego compares to other popular cities in the US.
| # | City | Average Street Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City, NY | $255 |
| 2 | San Diego, CA | $178 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $116 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $116 |
| 5 | Jacksonville, FL | $116 |
| 6 | Austin, TX | $111 |
| 7 | Dallas, TX | $108 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $100 |
| 9 | San Antonio, TX | $100 |
| 10 | Oklahoma City, OK | $77 |
Average street rates for non-climate-controlled 10x10 units for February 2025.
Self storage market size in San Diego, CA
San Diego self storage market statistics
| No. of self storage units | approx. 10,236 |
| No. of self storage facilities | 79 |
| Local self storage inventory (sq. ft.) | 6,626,185 |
| Self storage sq. ft. per capita | 4.1 |
| Average self storage rent in San Diego for a standard 10x10 unit | $178 |
San Diego self storage construction trends
The self storage sector has maintained an active development pipeline in recent years. In 2024 alone, about 58,864 square feet of self storage space came online in San Diego, representing 0.9% of the existing inventory. Compared to the year before, self storage inventory in San Diego has increased by 0.9%.
Currently, there are 79 self storage facilities and approx. 10,236 storage units in San Diego. The local inventory encompasses 6,626,185 square feet of storage space, offering 4.1 square feet per capita.
What’s driving demand for self storage?
Quick overview of the San Diego housing market
| Total no. of households | 509,347 |
| Y-o-y change in no. of households | 0.3% |
| Renter households in San Diego | 266,453 |
| Homeowner households in San Diego | 242,894 |
| Households with mortgages in San Diego | 172,827 |
| Median number of rooms (all housing units) | 4.5 |
| Average apartment size (sq. ft.) | 876 |
| Average home size (sq. ft.) | N/A |
| Average apartment rent | $3,001 |
| Median home value | $666,100 |
| Working from home (% of total working population) | 11.1% |
Self storage for residential clients: key facts and figures about the San Diego housing market
Generally associated with life events, the self storage industry is equipped to respond to people with changing housing situations, whether that means moving, downsizing, welcoming a new baby, or embracing multi-generational living. Lifestyle choices are also a demand driver for self storage, including preferences for snowbirding, digital nomading and RV travelling.
Looking at the type of residential customers that the San Diego self storage sector serves, it caters to both renters and homeowners, acting as extensions of their homes when living spaces are not big enough for the things people own.
San Diego is home to 266,453 renters and 242,894 homeowners. The average apartment size in San Diego is 876 sq. ft.
Self storage for business
Alongside the residential sector, self storage responds to needs arising from conducting business. Entrepreneurs and small business owners, including brick-and-mortar retailers, can turn to self storage to store their merchandise all while keeping it accessible.
Legal and medical professionals often turn to self storage as they are generally required to keep hard copies of their records. Realtors and interior designers also find self storage particularly useful for temporarily storing staging furniture. Moreover, blue collar businesses can benefit from storing their heavy equipment and supplies close to their work site.
Expert insights on San Diego's self storage market
The self storage industry in San Diego, CA, is subject to various socio-economic factors and to the market dynamics of demand and supply. Tom de Jong, Senior Vice President with Colliers, weighs in on the state of the industry:
Tom de Jong
MBA, SIOR
Senior Vice President
Colliers
Which factors underpin the local boom of self storage development in the past few years?
The self-storage sector has seen a boom in new construction since the economic recovery coming out of the Great Recession. Driving this trend is a flood of new sources of institutional capital combined with the continued improvement in operating metrics for existing storage facilities.
Rents, occupancy rates and operating incomes have all risen faster than in almost any other commercial real estate asset class, pushing opportunistic developers to enter the market. Across most markets we have seen an increase in supply in excess of 10% over the past 6-7 years.
Where does local demand for self storage come from?
Self-storage demand has benefited from a confluence of events, many of which were accelerated during COVID; several of the most prominent reasons for the increased demand include the work-from-home requirement with many folks reorganizing space to accommodate efficient workspace, home gym equipment due to fitness center closures, small business closures that pushed these owners to find storage for their most valuable assets, heightened divorce rates, and college-aged kids moving back into their parents' homes. These are some primary drivers of the increased demand for storage.
What major economic events affected the self storage industry in San Diego?
COVID has likely been one of the main factors; however, the cost of living in San Diego has pushed folks into smaller spaces with limited storage options. Combined with the amount of folks moving into the San Diego area to enjoy the climate and all that San Diego has to offer is certainly a factor impacting storage demand.
How do you envision the future of the local self storage industry, in the medium - and long-term?
As the economics of building storage have gotten tougher with rising land prices, limited supply of viable sites and the increased costs to build, there will likely be a slight deceleration in the amount of new building in San Diego in the mid-term. Longer-term will be determined by the continued improvement in self-storage profitability.
If the metrics continue to improve, the demand for new self-storage projects will certainly remain elevated and developers will get more creative. Most new self-storage projects built today are multi-story, climate-controlled and architecturally pleasing buildings, not the stereotypical drive-up facilities of the past!
Expert insights on San Diego's self storage market
The self storage industry in San Diego, CA, is subject to various socio-economic factors and to the market dynamics of demand and supply. Tom de Jong, Senior Vice President with Colliers, weighs in on the state of the industry:
Tom de Jong
MBA, SIOR
Senior Vice President
Colliers
Which factors underpin the local boom of self storage development in the past few years?
The self-storage sector has seen a boom in new construction since the economic recovery coming out of the Great Recession. Driving this trend is a flood of new sources of institutional capital combined with the continued improvement in operating metrics for existing storage facilities.
Rents, occupancy rates and operating incomes have all risen faster than in almost any other commercial real estate asset class, pushing opportunistic developers to enter the market. Across most markets we have seen an increase in supply in excess of 10% over the past 6-7 years.
Where does local demand for self storage come from?
Self-storage demand has benefited from a confluence of events, many of which were accelerated during COVID; several of the most prominent reasons for the increased demand include the work-from-home requirement with many folks reorganizing space to accommodate efficient workspace, home gym equipment due to fitness center closures, small business closures that pushed these owners to find storage for their most valuable assets, heightened divorce rates, and college-aged kids moving back into their parents' homes. These are some primary drivers of the increased demand for storage.
What major economic events affected the self storage industry in San Diego?
COVID has likely been one of the main factors; however, the cost of living in San Diego has pushed folks into smaller spaces with limited storage options. Combined with the amount of folks moving into the San Diego area to enjoy the climate and all that San Diego has to offer is certainly a factor impacting storage demand.
How do you envision the future of the local self storage industry, in the medium - and long-term?
As the economics of building storage have gotten tougher with rising land prices, limited supply of viable sites and the increased costs to build, there will likely be a slight deceleration in the amount of new building in San Diego in the mid-term. Longer-term will be determined by the continued improvement in self-storage profitability.
If the metrics continue to improve, the demand for new self-storage projects will certainly remain elevated and developers will get more creative. Most new self-storage projects built today are multi-story, climate-controlled and architecturally pleasing buildings, not the stereotypical drive-up facilities of the past!
Self storage market trends in cities
Where does our data come from?
All data related to self storage was compiled by StorageCafe, an online self storage search portal featuring nearly 31,000 listings across the U.S.
The self storage rental statistics on this page were sourced from our sister company, Yardi Matrix, the industry's most comprehensive market intelligence tool for investment professionals, equity investors, lenders and property managers who underwrite and manage investments in the multifamily, student housing, self storage, office and industrial sectors. Yardi Matrix maintains operational profiles for over 30,000 self storage facilities across the U.S.
Average home size data is from PropertyShark, while demographic data is from the latest U.S. Census Bureau release, the 2020 American Community Survey.