Founded in 1890, Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage the parent company of Portabox has successfully weathered many history-changing events including the Great Seattle Fire, WWI, the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Great Depression, WWII, the 2008 recession, and 9/11 among many other public crises. We are taking the current COVID-19 threat very seriously and will promptly adhere to any and all directives from local, state and federal government officials. Hansen Bros. and Portabox have been categorized as an essential industry business (moving & relocation) within the current mandate established by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.

As essential services, we will maintain normal operations until such time as either company management determines we must close our offices or we are directed to do so by a governmental authority. We are taking extensive precautionary measures including the adoption of all CDC guidelines and the establishment of our own policies intended to minimize health risks for all customers, employees, contractors, vendors, and community stakeholders. We are proud to be able to support the needs of our customers during this crucial time but are prepared to quickly change course as required.

Stay safe together with Hansen Bros. and Portabox

The COVID-19 crisis is fluid and there are many uncertainties and factors outside of our control that may, with little or no advance notice, impact our delivery of moving & storage services. Please be aware the current crisis could potentially result in small inconveniences such as a delayed project start time or significant inconveniences such as the complete rescheduling of services.

Although there are many unknowns to be navigated, you can be certain that Hansen Bros. and Portabox will be timely and transparent in our communications regarding servicing your moving & storage needs, and our professional relocation consultants will work diligently to offer creative solutions in the event your project is impacted by the current health crisis.

Steps We're Taking:

  • Company-wide Implementation of all precautionary measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
  • Office staff and crews are being monitored daily for symptoms and/or known exposure by management and asked to go home, contact their healthcare provider, and self-quarantine as directed. Staff that experience symptoms and/or aware of exposure when not at work have been directed to stay home and notify their supervisor.
  • Office staff and crews are receiving daily briefings on precautionary measures and have been directed to follow them on and off the job.
  • Office staff and crews are being instructed to maintain appropriate “social distance” of 6 feet minimum between one another, customers, and all other people.
  • Office staff and crews are being provided with appropriate hand sanitizer and surface disinfecting supplies. They have been directed to disinfect truck cabs and moving equipment between each move to the best of their ability. These supplies will continue to be replenished as we are able, based on availability from retailers.
  • We are limiting visitation to our branch offices. If you wish to purchase moving boxes or supplies, please simply call in your order and we will happily deliver to your vehicle outside.

We are all in this together.  The team at Hansen Bros. and Portabox is proud to continue offering our services in accordance with the necessary precautions outlined above. We are here to make the process of storing belongings seamless & safe for you.

US self storage demographics explained

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You might be wondering if self-storage is the right option for you and want to look at what other people think. That is why it is important to look at statistics and demographics in order to get an idea of the bigger picture. However, we know that looking at different graphics can sometimes be difficult. Even the best of us can get lost when trying to connect the colors to the bar charts, especially when there are two or more bar charts to look at. That is why our experts at PortaBox Storage Washington will have US self storage demographics explained in detail. This way you will have no problem understanding what the numbers mean. Moreover, you will get a clear picture of the nationwide stance on self storage.

Inside the minds of US self storage renters

Also known as self-service storage, self storage is a service that gives you a private place to store your belongings. This storage space can be anything from lockers to outdoor spaces. The most common storage is storage units which can prove to be quite useful, especially during transitional periods of your life. So, people usually rent storage space when they are moving. Or, when they have a lot of things they don’t know where to keep. We want to highlight the opinion of US citizens when it comes to self storage.

A shelf in a storage unit with items falling under US self storage demographics
We’ll help you discover what is self storage and if it’s something people in the US need

What are the percentages of US self storage demographics ?

When looking at the statistics for 2023, our self storage Marysville WA experts see a few trends happening. It’s important to mention we won’t be looking at the demographics of just one place but of the whole nation. So, what are the trends that are happening across the US?

  • 11.1% of households in 2023 rent a self-storage facility, which is an estimated 14.6 million households
  • in 2022 this number was around 9% or around 10 million households

This means there is an annual growth of 2.1%, which is quite a lot. If this continues in 2023 we can expect more and more people to rent self storage units. When looking at which cities are most in demand you can notice there has not been a huge change in the last couple of years:

  1.  Houston, TX
  2.  Las Vegas, NV 
  3. Phoenix, AZ
  4. New York, NY
  5. San Antonio, TX
  6. San Diego, CA
  7. Los Angeles, CA
  8. Miami, FL
  9. Orlando, FL 
  10. Austin, TX

When it comes to the generational gap in use self storage, our Redmond self storage specialists also notice a clear divide:

  • 44% of Gen X
  • 38% of Baby Boomers
  • 30% of Millennials
  • 27% of the Silent Generation
  • 14% of Gen Z

You can see the clear trend of younger generations not using self storage as much.

people moving boxes
Sometimes when moving you might need to rent a storage unit for all things you cannot immediately bring with you.

What is the reason for self-storing?

So, when looking at reasons people usually think about, or rent storage units, there are a few that pop into our mind. They might be for moving purposes or not enough space in our homes. But is that the real picture? We will look at some of the most common reasons people use self storage.

Moving. The number one reason people use storage units is in the case of a move. This is to be expected, as you typically rent storage units for a shorter period of time. People typically don’t have a place to put all things when changing from one place to another. Overall, around 56% of people use self-storage for this reason. It’s important to note that people often use Seattle mini storage for this, quite successfully.

Not enough space at home. This is the second most common reason people self-store. Honestly, it’s to be expected. Sometimes you just can’t get rid of some stuff, but they only take up space in your home. The best solution is to put all your excess things into a storage unit. These storage units are sometimes forgotten about, and you can look into them in some reality tv shows or unit auctions. Anyways, around 36% of people use self storage because they don’t have enough room in their homes.

Business-related actions. So, around 6% of people use storage units for business-related actions. Either for storing stuff from their work life or for working there. You can often hear people getting arrested because they were growing stuff in their units. This does not happen often though. Moreover, some people make small offices in storage units which isn’t allowed. This is quite an interesting category as people use and abuse storage units for business purposes.

Home renovations. Around 2% of people put their things into storage units when renovating their homes.

% of people use storage units in the US self storage demographics
The most common reasons people in the U.S. use self storage, in percentages

What are the items that can be found in these units?

So, there are a few groups of items you can typically see in storage units.

  • Furniture
  • Clothing
  • Home appliances and equipment
  • Vehicles
  • Sporting items and hobby gear
  • Business items
  • Vehicles

There isn’t a clear percentage of which of these items are most commonly stored, but these are definitely the most common items found in storage units.

An empty hall of a storage facility
These are the most common items you can find in storage units, but you can also find some weird items as well as vintage collectibles!

Take action: Uncover US self storage demographics and optimize your space

To conclude this analysis, US self storage demographics are quite interesting. There are definitely things that you expect to be mentioned, while others can catch you completely off guard. Hopefully, this will give you a clear picture of the current state of things. And, maybe, even convince you to try storage units. Who knows, self storage in West Seattle might be the solution to the abundance of things your small West Seattle households owns.

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