Long-term self storage

The honest price of storing your stuff for the year, not the month.

The average self-storage renter stays 20 months — but every comparison site shows you a one-month headline rate. We surface annual-prepay deals, rate-lock guarantees, and listed 12-month rent across 6 U.S. metros — then our calculator models the true all-in cost with fees and rate increases.


Why this site exists

Three signals every long-stay renter wants — surfaced first.

Other comparison sites lead with the cheapest headline price. The headline rate is not the cost — it's the foot in the door. We lead with the three things that actually determine what you'll pay over a real stay.

Annual prepay finder

Filter for facilities that publish a real "pay for the year" discount — typically 5–10% off, sometimes a free 13th month. Most sites bury this.

Rate-lock detection

U-Haul markets a 1-year price lock. So do dozens of independents — they just don't advertise it the same way. We read the fine print and tag matches.

All-in cost calculator

Facility tables show 12-month rent (listed monthly × 12) so the math reconciles. Our calculator adds rate escalation, admin fees, optional protection, and compares month-to-month vs prepay vs rate-lock paths.


Metros covered

6 metros chosen for long-stay demand.

All metros →

Snowbird & boat country

SnowbirdsBoat / RVClimate-controlled
119 facilities 75 with prices $149 median /mo

Banking & tech relocations

RelocationsClimate-controlledDrive-up mix
113 facilities 70 with prices $130 median /mo

Snowbird capital

SnowbirdsClimate-controlledYear-round demand
103 facilities 55 with prices $131 median /mo

Music city relocations

RelocationsGear storageClimate-controlled
101 facilities 63 with prices $158 median /mo

Retiree & snowbird mix

SnowbirdsRetireesClimate-controlled
80 facilities 51 with prices $103 median /mo

Midwest steady

Stable demandLarger unitsDrive-up mix
77 facilities 28 with prices $105 median /mo

How we work

Prices straight from the source. Honest defaults.

Our prices come directly from each facility's own public website — the same rates you'd see visiting it yourself. When a facility doesn't publish prices online, we list it without a rate rather than guess. The calculator's defaults (rate-escalation, prepay, rate-lock) are based on industry research and clearly labeled wherever they're used.