The American Religion of Self-Storage Facilities
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Self-storage facilities outnumber major U.S. chains, reflecting a cultural obsession with storing unused possessions.
The U.S. has 90% of global self-storage capacity, with more facilities than Starbucks, McDonald's, Walmart, Home Depot, Domino's, Dunkin', and Costco combined. Annual revenues exceed $40 billion. The industry is driven by death, displacement, divorce, and downsizing. A third of residential garages are too full of overflow possessions to park cars. Facilities range from mom-and-pop operations to institutional-quality assets owned by REITs like Public Storage and Extra Space Storage.
What commenters are saying
Commenters noted the financial irrationality of long-term storage: one family spent $50,000 in fees since 2006 storing furniture worth less. Many shared anecdotes of aging relatives paying for decades to store unwanted 'heirlooms.' Several promoted Swedish death cleaning as a healthier alternative. A minority highlighted legitimate uses, such as contractors storing equipment or retirees downsizing. One commenter tied the phenomenon to America's homelessness crisis, noting that cars often serve as shelters when housing is unaffordable.