Self-Storage Nation: How America's Love of Stuff Became a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

The United States is home to an astonishing number of self-storage facilities, with over 90% of global capacity. The industry has its roots in the 1970s, when mom-and-pop operations began to sprout up across the country.

Today, Texas boasts the most facilities, followed closely by Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Reno, Nevada, is a hotspot for self-storage, with many businesses catering specifically to Burning Man attendees who need to store their gear between events.

The industry's growth has been nothing short of remarkable, with annual revenues exceeding $40 billion. The co-founder and CEO of Neighbor, an industry marketplace that works like Airbnb, estimates there are more self-storage facilities in the US than there are Starbucks, McDonald's, Walmart, Home Depot, Domino's, Dunkin', and Costco locations combined.