---
title: "Is square foot per capita a reliable measure of self-storage demand?"
description: "**Short answer:** Not on its own. Mark calls it a myth that existing storage square feet per person gives a clear picture of supply and demand. It ignores facility quality, overlapping trade areas, demographics, density, the health of the area,…"
url: "https://creatingwealththroughselfstorage.com/docs/square-foot-per-capita-myth/"
updated: "2026-10-16"
category: "Site Selection & Feasibility"
---

# Is square foot per capita a reliable measure of self-storage demand?

**Short answer:** Not on its own. Mark calls it a myth that existing storage square feet per person gives a clear picture of supply and demand. It ignores facility quality, overlapping trade areas, demographics, density, the health of the area, visibility and pricing behavior. Live competitor pricing is often a better signal.

## What the metric misses

- **Not all competitors are equal.** An old gravel facility with no office or security draws far fewer customers than a new one, yet both count the same.
- **Overlapping trade areas.** A facility 4.9 miles away in a 5-mile radius may only overlap a small slice of your real trade area.
- **Demographics.** Income, population growth, education and density all change demand. In higher-income areas, older facilities may barely compete for the same customers.
- **Quality of the area.** Grocery-anchored centers, national retailers and other signs of a healthy local economy matter.
- **Visibility.** Hidden facilities count the same as a new one on a main road.
- **Pricing.** The metric says nothing about REITs, sophisticated operators or discounting in the trade area.

## A better signal

Mark values subscription services that scrape competitor websites for live rates and discounts. He has seen “overbuilt” trade areas, well above 9 or 10 square feet per person, with almost no discounting, which suggests strong demand. He has also seen low square-foot-per-capita areas where offered rates were far below what he had underwritten.

He doesn’t throw the number away entirely, but gives it a back seat to these other factors.

## Related answers

- [What makes a good self-storage trade area?](/docs/what-makes-a-good-self-storage-trade-area/)
- [Why does visibility matter so much for a self-storage facility?](/docs/self-storage-visibility/)
- [Do you need a feasibility report and competitor analysis before buying or building?](/docs/feasibility-report-and-competitor-analysis/)

**Source:** Mark’s post [The Square Foot per Capita Myth](/the-square-foot-per-capita-myth/)

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