People shortlist storage on features and then find half the list unavailable within a sensible drive. Here is how often each one actually turns up.
| Feature | Facilities offering it | Share of the directory |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle, RV or boat storage | 7,605 | 66% |
| Security cameras | 7,546 | 66% |
| Drive up access | 6,319 | 55% |
| Climate control | 6,170 | 54% |
| 24 hour access | 3,419 | 30% |
The one that catches people out
24 hour access is the rarest thing on the list, at 30%. Most facilities run gate hours, often something like 6am to 10pm, and lock the site outside them. That is fine until the one evening you need a box at midnight, or until you are loading a van on a schedule that does not fit.
If round the clock access matters to you, filter on it first rather than last. In a small town there may be one facility that offers it, and finding that out after you have compared prices wastes the afternoon.
Climate control is a choice, not a given
Climate control is available at 54% of facilities, so in most towns you have both options. It costs more wherever it exists, and it matters for a narrow set of things: wood furniture, anything with electronics, paper, photographs, instruments, and anything you are storing through a hard winter or a humid summer.
For a garage clear out of tools and plastic bins, standard is usually fine and the money is better spent on a size up.
Drive up is more common than people assume
Drive up access is at 55% of the facilities we list, which is more than most people expect, and it is the feature that most changes how long a move in takes. Backing a vehicle to the door instead of trolleying boxes down a corridor and into a lift is the difference between an hour and an afternoon.
The tradeoff is that drive up units are usually the ground floor stock, so they carry a premium over an equivalent upper floor unit at the same site.
How we got these numbers
Every figure here is counted from the 11,482 facilities listed on StorageAtlas across 46 states and provinces and 1,685 towns and cities. Prices are what each facility published on its own website on the day we last read it, so they are a dated reading rather than a quote, and a facility can change its rates without us seeing it. Where a figure rests on a smaller sample we say how small. We hold no vacancy data at all, so nothing here tells you whether a unit is free today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many storage facilities offer 24 hour access?
In our directory, 3,419 of 11,482, which is 30%. Most facilities run gate hours instead, so check before you assume.
Is climate control worth paying for?
It depends what you are storing. It matters for wood, electronics, paper, photographs and instruments, and for anything sitting through a hard winter or a humid summer. It is available at 54% of facilities, so you usually have the choice.
What is the difference between drive up and indoor storage?
A drive up unit has its own external door you can reverse a vehicle to. An indoor unit sits along a corridor and is reached through a shared entrance, often with a lift. Drive up is available at 55% of the facilities we list and normally costs a little more.
Do security cameras mean my belongings are insured?
No. Cameras are at 66% of facilities and they deter and record, they do not compensate. Contents insurance is separate and most facilities require you to carry it.
