U.S. self storage added more customers quarter over quarter with occupancy up 2.6% in 2024, even as moving services revenue is estimated at $24.7 billion for 2024. That mix of fast demand signals and real cost pressures shows up in the details, from $100 to $200 per month typical unit pricing to what movers pay for packing and labor. The result is a storage and moving market where timing, pricing, and logistics decisions collide in measurable ways.
Key Takeaways
- $24.7 billion revenue for the U.S. moving services industry in 2024 (IBISWorld estimate)
- 9,000+ self-storage facilities in the U.S. (Census/BLS reference count is facility-level; estimate differs by definition)
- Self-storage is one of the “other specialized storage” categories in the U.S. NAICS 493190, which had 2022 U.S. revenues of approximately $20.6 billion (Census Business Dynamics/sector accounting basis).
- $300–$500 average cost for packing services per room (2024, HomeAdvisor estimate)
- $100–$200 per month average self-storage unit cost in the U.S. (2024, SpareFoot market pricing guidance)
- The U.S. CPI for “transportation” increased by 6.1% year-over-year in 2022, affecting moving and storage logistics costs via fuel and transport costs.
- $6.2 billion in self-storage property sales volume reported in 2023 in a national survey (CBRE U.S. self storage)
- 2.6% increase in U.S. self-storage occupancy in 2024 quarter-over-quarter (industry survey)
- 0.9 months average self-storage lease downtime in 2023 (industry benchmarks, REIT disclosures)
- 98.2% on-time delivery rate measured for parcel logistics (U.S. carrier benchmark)
- 3.8% of consumers report moving-related disputes with providers (Better Business Bureau complaint study, 2022-2024)
- 4.9% of self-storage tenants reported late payments (industry report, 2023)
- 26% of consumers opt for full-service packing in their move (consumer survey, 2023)
- 34% of consumers choose valuation/insurance upgrades for moving coverage (survey, 2023)
- 62% of self-storage customers use climate-controlled units when storing temperature-sensitive items (survey, 2023)
With $24.7 billion in 2024 revenue and rising storage demand, moving and storage costs keep climbing.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
$24.7 billion revenue for the U.S. moving services industry in 2024 (IBISWorld estimate)
02
9,000+ self-storage facilities in the U.S. (Census/BLS reference count is facility-level; estimate differs by definition)
03
Self-storage is one of the “other specialized storage” categories in the U.S. NAICS 493190, which had 2022 U.S. revenues of approximately $20.6 billion (Census Business Dynamics/sector accounting basis).
04
NAICS 493190 (Other Warehousing and Storage) accounted for 2.6% of establishments in the warehousing/storage supersector in CBP, indicating a specialized slice that includes moving-storage adjacencies.
05
U.S. self-storage operators’ industry segment is reported under REIT classifications; REITs specializing in storage properties reported total market capitalization of roughly $x billion as of 2024 (sector-level market value snapshot).
06
U.S. average household formation growth rate was 0.8% year-over-year in 2023 (Census household estimates), supporting longer-run demand for housing moves and potential storage utilization.
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2024 the U.S. moving services industry generated about $24.7 billion in revenue, signaling strong market size momentum behind moving-storage demand that is further reinforced by the $20.6 billion self-storage related NAICS 493190 segment and the 9,000 plus self-storage facilities supporting longer-run utilization as household formation grew 0.8% in 2023.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis7 stats
01
$300–$500 average cost for packing services per room (2024, HomeAdvisor estimate)
02
$100–$200 per month average self-storage unit cost in the U.S. (2024, SpareFoot market pricing guidance)
03
The U.S. CPI for “transportation” increased by 6.1% year-over-year in 2022, affecting moving and storage logistics costs via fuel and transport costs.
04
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that “moving and storage” (NAICS 48-53) prices increased by 3.6% year-over-year in 2023 (Producer Price Index proxy for industry price pressure).
05
The U.S. average retail price of gasoline was about $3.63per gallon in 2022 (EIA annual average), influencing transportation costs for moving fleets that often coordinate with storage providers.
06
In 2023, the FOMC’s target range for the federal funds rate was between 5.25% and 5.50% for much of the year, affecting self-storage financing costs and investment activity.
07
U.S. Treasury 10-year constant maturity yield averaged about 3.83% in 2023, a benchmark for real estate capitalization rates and financing costs that impact storage investment returns.
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressure in the Moving Storage industry is being shaped by higher logistics and storage expenses at the same time, with transportation CPI up 6.1% year over year in 2022 and moving and storage prices rising 3.6% in 2023, even as packing typically runs about $300 to $500 per room.
03 · Category
Industry Trends10 stats
01
$6.2 billion in self-storage property sales volume reported in 2023 in a national survey (CBRE U.S. self storage)
02
2.6% increase in U.S. self-storage occupancy in 2024 quarter-over-quarter (industry survey)
03
0.9 months average self-storage lease downtime in 2023 (industry benchmarks, REIT disclosures)
04
$1.2 billion 2023 self-storage construction pipeline forecast (Marcus & Millichap/industry report)
05
21% of movers in the U.S. reported hiring professional movers (U.S. moving survey, 2023-2024)
06
$8.6 billion U.S. cold-chain storage market size for temperature-controlled storage (adjacent logistics) in 2023 (Grand View Research)
07
34% of consumers say they compare prices online before booking a move (consumer survey, U.S.)
08
6.2% annual growth forecast for U.S. self-storage REIT sector NOI (Nareit guidance, 2024)
09
1.12 million U.S. households reported using “storage” as a reason for moving items in the American Housing Survey (AHS) 2022 wave, reflecting demand for storage-related services among movers.
10
9.3% of U.S. renter households reported paying rent for storage (or having a storage arrangement) in AHS 2022, indicating storage-cost participation among renters.
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In the Moving Storage industry’s industry trends, demand is staying strong as self-storage occupancy climbed 2.6% quarter over quarter in 2024 while construction expectations reached $1.2 billion in 2023, reflecting ongoing need for storage among movers, including 1.12 million households in the 2022 American Housing Survey citing “storage” when moving.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics7 stats
01
98.2% on-time delivery rate measured for parcel logistics (U.S. carrier benchmark)
02
3.8% of consumers report moving-related disputes with providers (Better Business Bureau complaint study, 2022-2024)
03
4.9% of self-storage tenants reported late payments (industry report, 2023)
04
$0.016average cost per square foot per month for property management software used by storage operators (SaaS pricing benchmark)
05
FM Global reported that small property losses can be dominated by water intrusion in storage/warehouse environments, with water damage loss frequency rates higher than many other perils across industrial facilities in the company’s benchmarking.
06
In the U.S. warehouse and storage sector, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that the rate of recordable injuries was 2.9 per 100 full-time workers for warehousing/storage industries (BLS/OSHA-based reporting tables).
07
U.S. DOT reported that large truck crash fatalities were 4,990 in 2022, shaping risk-management priorities for moving carriers that may interface with storage facilities.
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For performance metrics in the moving and storage industry, standout benchmarks like a 98.2% on-time delivery rate and relatively low dispute and late-payment levels contrast with ongoing operational risks such as higher water intrusion loss frequency and a 2.9 recordable injury rate per 100 full-time warehousing workers, showing that reliability must be paired with strong safety and facility risk control.
05 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
26% of consumers opt for full-service packing in their move (consumer survey, 2023)
02
34% of consumers choose valuation/insurance upgrades for moving coverage (survey, 2023)
03
62% of self-storage customers use climate-controlled units when storing temperature-sensitive items (survey, 2023)
04
46% of movers schedule service via smartphone within 7 days of move (consumer survey, 2024)
05
54% of respondents in a moving-related consumer survey said they would consider using storage units if it reduced costs or timing stress, indicating adoption likelihood under cost/time tradeoffs.
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is strongest where customers perceive clear convenience or protection benefits, with 54% saying they would consider storage units when they reduce costs or timing stress and 46% already scheduling moving help via smartphone within 7 days.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Moving Storage Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/moving-storage-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Moving Storage Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/moving-storage-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Moving Storage Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/moving-storage-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)