Cheap California: Where are the self-storage bargains?
“Cheap California” looks at various slices of the state’s economy based on price.
Buzz: Need a cheap storage locker? Look inland.
Source: My trusty spreadsheet analyzed a report on pricing for self-storage units in 32 major California cities by StorageCafe and Yardi, looking at “street rates” as of December and the 12-month change.
Topline: Bakersfield ($85 per-square-foot average), San Bernardino ($104) and Fresno ($116) were the cheapest. Bakersfield (up 5.7%), Fresno (up 4.1%) and Santa Clarita (up 2.2%) had 2022’s biggest price hikes.
San Francisco ($264), Los Angeles ($253) and Salinas ($199) were homes to the most expensive storage units. Modesto (off 9.7%), San Bernardino (off 9.6%) and Ontario (off 7.4%) had the biggest price drops.
The national average for a standard 10-foot-square unit is $126.
Bottom Line: California’s 19 price drops in 2022 can be tied to new supply hitting the market and shifting demand within a return to a more “normal” post-pandemic life. Nationally, rates fell 2.3%. California’s median drop was 1.9%.
The numbers
How pricing varies across the state …
1. Bakersfield: $85 – up 5.7% in a year, No. 1 gain.
2. San Bernardino: $104 – off 9.6% in a year, No. 31 gain.
3. Fresno: $116 – up 4.1% in a year, No. 2 gain.
4. Stockton: $130 – off 6.6% in a year, No. 29 gain.
5. Modesto: $132 – off 9.7% in a year, No. 32 gain.
6. Lancaster: $133 – off 2.3% in a year, No. 18 gain.
6. Palmdale: $133 – off 6.3% in a year, No. 26 gain.
8. Riverside: $135 – up 0.9% in a year, No. 10 gain.
9. Fontana: $136 – off 5.3% in a year, No. 23 gain.
10. Moreno Valley: $139 – up 1.9% in a year, No. 5 gain.
11. Sacramento: $146 – off 6.3% in a year, No. 26 gain.
12. Elk Grove: $147 – off 5.6% in a year, No. 24 gain.
13. Ontario: $154 – off 7.4% in a year, No. 30 gain.
14. Oxnard: $164 – up 1.6% in a year, No. 7 gain.
14. Irvine: $164 – off 1.6% in a year, No. 16 gain.
16. Oceanside: $165 – off 4.5% in a year, No. 22 gain.
17. Fremont: $170 – up 1.5% in a year, No. 8 gain.
18. San Jose: $171 – off 1.5% in a year, No. 15 gain.
19. Hayward: $172 – up 2% in a year, No. 4 gain.
20. Rancho Cucamonga: $176 – up 1.9% in a year, No. 5 gain.
21. Chula Vista: $179 – off 3.2% in a year, No. 19 gain.
22. Santa Rosa: $180 – off 6.4% in a year, No. 28 gain.
23. San Diego: $183 – up 0.3% in a year, No. 12 gain.
24. Santa Ana: $185 – up 0.1% in a year, No. 13 gain.
25. Huntington Beach: $187 – up 1% in a year, No. 9 gain.
26. Anaheim: $190 – off 0.1% in a year, No. 14 gain.
27. Long Beach: $191 – up 0.8% in a year, No. 11 gain.
28. Santa Clarita: $195 – up 2.2% in a year, No. 3 gain.
29. Oakland: $197 – off 6% in a year, No. 25 gain.
30. Salinas: $199 – off 4.2% in a year, No. 21 gain.
31. Los Angeles: $253 – off 2.2% in a year, No. 17 gain.
32. San Francisco: $264 – off 3.7% in a year, No. 20 gain.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]
