Storage Unit Prices in 2026: Ten Chains and What the Move-In Rate Doesn't Tell You
National observed ranges — big metros run well above. Storage is the most hyperlocal category we track: every operator quotes by zip code online, so where a chain publishes a firm number we show it, and where it doesn't we say so instead of inventing one. The real story here is the rate hike after month three.
Audited first-party 12 Oct 2026 · price bands observed & carried forward from August · re-checked monthlyStorage audited first-party, 12 Oct 2026We opened all ten chains' own websites for the first time. Two ownership changes our page had wrong or missed: Simply Self Storage was bought by Public Storage ($2.2B from Blackstone, announced July 2023) and simplyss.com now redirects to publicstorage.com — our "owned by Blackstone" line was wrong from the day we wrote it. And Public Storage completed its acquisition of National Storage Affiliates, iStorage's parent, on 22 July 2026; NSA's brands are to move to Public Storage branding, though istorage.com still trades as iStorage today.
What the chains publish: none prints a rate on its national page. Seven print real rates on individual location pages (CubeSmart, Extra Space, Public Storage, U-Haul, SmartStop, Prime, Storage King USA), StorageMart prints only "Rates From" floors with no unit size, and two (Simply, iStorage) we could not classify — see their cards. Our per-chain price bands are still the August figures, most from third-party guides; the first-party figures below are single locations, not national rates, and we have not swapped one for the other.
Also corrected: Extra Space describes itself as owning or operating over 4,300 properties; we had 3,500+.
What the chains publish: none prints a rate on its national page. Seven print real rates on individual location pages (CubeSmart, Extra Space, Public Storage, U-Haul, SmartStop, Prime, Storage King USA), StorageMart prints only "Rates From" floors with no unit size, and two (Simply, iStorage) we could not classify — see their cards. Our per-chain price bands are still the August figures, most from third-party guides; the first-party figures below are single locations, not national rates, and we have not swapped one for the other.
Also corrected: Extra Space describes itself as owning or operating over 4,300 properties; we had 3,500+.
Earlier: what changed since the July check (re-checked 10 Aug 2026)U-Haul announced a 1-Year Price Lock Guarantee in March 2026 — the only national operator promising a fixed rate for twelve months, which matters more than any headline rate in this category. National benchmarks refreshed: a 10x10 averages $120–$130/mo, $90–$180 standard and $125–$200 climate-controlled. Documented 2026 increases added for Public Storage (one 10x10 went $77 → $171 in ten months) and CubeSmart ($15–$30 every six months). Per-facility chain bands are carried forward — storage is priced by zip, so no national chain number exists to re-quote.
Jump to: CubeSmart Extra Space Public Storage U-Haul Self-Storage SmartStop Self Prime Storage Simply Self Storage King StorageMart iStorage
Tip: click any column header to sort the table.
| Size | What fits | Standard/mo | Climate-controlled/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5×5 | closet's worth, boxes | $50–$80 | $65–$100 |
| 5×10 | studio apartment | $70–$110 | $90–$140 |
| 10×10 | 1–2 bedroom home | $98–$222 | $127–$289 |
| 10×20 | 3–4 bedroom / vehicle | $180–$350 | $230–$450 |
CubeSmart
10×10 AVERAGE$130–$170
RATE-HIKE STYLEleast aggressive of the majors
Deal reality: typically the cheapest major chain in matched markets, and gentler on post-promo increases — often the best total-cost pick even when move-in isn't lowest.
First-party, 12 Oct 2026: a Phoenix facility page prints 10×10 climate-controlled at $70.80/mo online vs $118.00 in store (and $80.40 vs $134.00 first-floor), tagged "40% Off & First Month Free". One location, not a national rate.
"Least aggressive" is relative, not gentle: 2026 renter reports describe increases of roughly $15–$30 every six months, including on units sold with a verbal assurance the rate would hold for a year.
Extra Space Storage
10×10 STANDARD$98–$222
10×10 CLIMATE$127–$289
Deal reality: prices ~5–10% below Public Storage in matched markets, but expect a 15–25% increase within 3–6 months of the promo ending.
Now the largest US operator by location (over 4,300 owned or operated, by its own count) after absorbing Life Storage in the 2023 merger — if your unit was a Life Storage, it's Extra Space now, and rates in overlapping markets were pulled up 5–15% toward Extra Space levels during integration.
First-party, 12 Oct 2026: Extra Space's own city pages print a floor and an average, not a national rate: Salt Lake City 10×10 from $41, $78 average; New York from $56, $167 average. The page says prices exclude administration and insurance fees and does not list them.
Public Storage
POSITIONpriciest major, most locations
PROMO$1 first month (classic hook)
Deal reality: the famous $1-first-month promo is real — and so is the 15–25% hike a few months later. Divide your decision by the year-one total, not month one.
The steepest documented 2026 example on any chain here: one 10×10 went from $77 to $171 in ten months — a 122% increase — after a promotional start. That is not an outlier policy; it is the model.
First-party, 12 Oct 2026: its Las Vegas 10×10 page lists 46 facilities, lowest $36/mo, $64 average, with per-facility online and in-store rates side by side (e.g. $46 online vs $58 in store; one facility $81 promo for months 1–4 against a $161 standard rate) and a one-time $29 admin fee. It also now owns Simply Self Storage and, since 22 July 2026, National Storage Affiliates (iStorage's parent).
U-Haul Self-Storage
5×5–5×10~$70–$90
RATE GUARANTEE1-year price lock
Deal reality: one free month with truck rental is the standing play — genuinely useful mid-move. Small-unit pricing is competitive; larger units vary by facility age.
New since our last check. In March 2026 U-Haul introduced a 1-Year Price Lock Guarantee: the rate you sign at cannot rise for twelve months. It is the only fixed-rate promise from a national operator, and the company marketed it explicitly against competitors' introductory rates followed by increases. In a category where the second price is the real price, a rate that cannot move for a year is worth more than a lower opening number. A Phoenix facility page we read on 12 Oct 2026 prints every unit with the lock shown beside it — 10×10 from $189.95 to $214.95, 5×10 $119.95–$134.95 — with a $0 admin fee and no deposit; the lock excludes U-Box. That is above our "~$70–$90" small-unit band, which stays labelled observed. Verify the lock is written on your specific contract before signing — it is a company-level program, and facilities are a mix of corporate and dealer-run.
SmartStop Self Storage
10×10 (OBSERVED)~$100 online promo
POSITIONnational REIT (SMA)
Deal reality: aggressive intro stack — first month free plus up to 15% off, or 50% off month one, or three months at 50%. Confirm the post-promo monthly before signing; the discount is month-one only. A member reported a $100/month 10×10 online promo in early 2026.
Publicly traded operator with a national footprint; online rates beat walk-in. First-party, 12 Oct 2026: a Las Vegas facility page lists 5×5 $14, 5×10 $24, 10×10 $42/$50, 10×15 $62/$66, 10×20 $99 under an "Up To 50% Off + Free 1st Month" banner — and does not say whether the discount is already in those rates. The national page prints no rate.
Prime Storage
10×10 (OBSERVED)from ~$49 (low end)
PROMOfirst month free + up to 50% off
Deal reality: first-month-free and up-to-50%-off offers are standing. Observed a Bronx 10×10 as low as $49/month in mid-2026; big-metro facilities run far higher.
East-Coast-heavy operator. Like the majors, the teaser is month one — budget for the step-up. First-party, 12 Oct 2026: a Baltimore facility prints 10×10 at $106/mo drive-up and $114/mo climate, next to unexplained "Web Only Rate" figures of $180 and $205. We could not reproduce the Bronx $49 figure above on Prime's own site; it stays labelled observed.
Simply Self Storage
10×10 (OBSERVED)$160–$212
AVERAGE~$171
HIDDEN FEES$24 admin + $10+/mo insurance
Deal reality: averages about $171/month for a 10×10 — roughly $20 below the industry average — but a one-time $24 admin fee and mandatory insurance (from $10/month) are add-ons the quoted rate hides.
Correction, 12 Oct 2026: this chain is now Public Storage. Public Storage agreed to buy Simply from Blackstone (BREIT) for $2.2B in July 2023, and simplyss.com now redirects to publicstorage.com. We wrote "owned by Blackstone" in July 2026, three years late. The figures here are third-party and pre-integration, not a price Simply publishes, and its audit is left blank because there is no separate Simply site to read. Observed 2026: Orlando $160, Cypress CA climate $188, Seattle heated $212 — location dominates.
Storage King USA
10×10 (MIAMI OBSERVED)$89–$176
LOCATIONS170+
DISCOUNT5% military
Deal reality: "Book Now, Pay When You Move In" holds a unit with nothing upfront; 5% active-military discount. Miami 10×10s observed averaging about $176 with a low near $89.
Mid-size national chain — reserve online for the better rate. First-party, 12 Oct 2026: a Houston facility page prints a 10×10 climate-controlled ground-floor unit at $44 web / $61 in store with "1 Full Month 50% Off", and the 10×10 drive-up with no price ("call for availability"). The city page prints only "From $13–$26" floors with no unit size.
StorageMart
10×10 (NATIONAL RANGE)$90–$180 standard
MODELper-facility online pricing
Deal reality: no national menu — StorageMart prices each facility by zip on its site, so the honest answer is "check your location." National 2026 standard 10×10s run ~$90–$180, climate ~$120–$250.
Family-owned Midwest-and-national operator. Online reservation rates beat walk-in. First-party, 12 Oct 2026: pages titled "10x10 storage" print only "Rates From" floors per facility (Kansas City $4–$58, Miami $10–$22) without saying which unit size the floor is for, so no 10×10 is actually priced — we class it partial. Facility pages were not read this cycle.
iStorage
10×10 (NATIONAL RANGE)$90–$180 standard
MODELquote-by-zip online
Deal reality: part of the National Storage Affiliates network; no published national menu, so pricing is quoted per facility online with the usual first-month promos. Falls within the national $90–$180 standard 10×10 band.
We show the observable national band rather than invent a precise figure this chain doesn't publish — which is the whole point of this index.
Ownership watch, 12 Oct 2026: Public Storage completed its acquisition of National Storage Affiliates on 22 July 2026 and says NSA's brands will transition to Public Storage branding; the release does not name iStorage, and istorage.com still trades as iStorage today. Its national page prints no rate; its facility pages could not be read this cycle, so the audit is blank — "not checked," not "publishes nothing."
Storage math that saves real money
- The move-in rate is a teaser. Budget on move-in + 20%, because that's where most renters land by month six. Ask directly: "when is my first increase and how much?"
- What a 10×10 actually costs right now (re-checked 10 Aug 2026). The national average is $120–$130/month. Standard non-climate units run $90–$180; climate-controlled $125–$200. Geography dominates everything else: about $230/month in San Francisco against roughly $95 in Houston, and $70–$100 in rural markets. It remains a soft market by recent standards — a good year to negotiate, and a bad year to accept the first quote.
- One operator now sells certainty instead of a low opener. U-Haul's 1-Year Price Lock (March 2026) is the only national fixed-rate promise. If you are storing for more than about four months, compare it against a cheap teaser rate on year-one total, not move-in.
- Compare year-one totals, not first months. $1-first-month at a hike-happy chain routinely loses to a boring flat rate.
- Size down before you sign. The gap between "everything fits" and "everything fits if I stack" is $30–$60 every single month.
- Climate control is for wood, electronics, photos, fabric. For garage-grade stuff, it's a ~30% premium for nothing.
- Rates are hyper-local. Two facilities three miles apart can differ 40%. Check both chains' websites with your zip — online rates beat walk-in rates.