Gen X is the demographic using the most self-storage units as the sector continues to enjoy a boom sparked by pandemic-driven renter preferences and migration changes.

A recent RentCafe survey of 4,200 renters reveals that currently, about 21% of renters are using self-storage, while another 12% intend to use it in the future. And Gen Xers are the biggest users of self-storage, with 44% reporting they currently use units and 21% declaring an intention to use self-storage in the near future. Gen X is followed by baby boomers, with 38% reporting an interest in self storage. Around 30% of the millennial cohort use self-storage.

"As a service largely responding to life events, self storage is becoming increasingly popular. The recent need to carve out space at home for home offices or gyms, plus an increase in multigenerational living, have joined the traditional reasons for using self storage including growing families, living with roommates, moving and downsizing," says RentCafe's Maria Gatea.