St. Louis, MO: Top Things to Know About Storage

Storage Facts

St. Louis is one of the few cities in the United States in which the population has been in a free fall for years, declining from 620,000 in 1970 to an estimated 317,000 in 2014. St. Louis has 48 self-storage facilities with a total of about 26,400 individual units, or about 1 unit per every 12 people. While that’s on the low end, if the city were more densely populated there would be more competition for self-storage units. Basically, as soon as you suspect you’ll need self-storage, start looking for a unit so you can find the best deals.

The Weather and Climate Control

The weather in St. Louis ranges from below freezing in winter, getting to an average of 23 degrees at night, to hot and humid in the summer, averaging about 89 degrees during the day in July. In your home, you probably have both heating and air conditioning, which keeps you feeling comfortable all year long. What you might not realize, though, is just how much your home climate control protects your possessions. For example, books and files, fabrics, musical instruments, and more can suffer damage due to cold, dryness, heat, and humidity. Cracking, mold, and mildew are all threats. Due to the weather conditions in St. Louis, we highly recommend getting a unit with climate control.

Crime and Security in St. Louis

Perhaps explaining why the population has been decreasing for decades, crime in St. Louis is nearly 4.5 times greater than the national average. So, as a local, you no doubt lock your car door, lock your home when you go out and at night, and may even have a home security system. It’s important to look for a facility with good security, too. When it comes to storage security systems, look for facilities with high walls and gated access, monitored security video, good lighting, and alarms. While self-storage break-ins are actually on the decline, you can also take measures to protect your valuables from theft as well. Plan how you will arrange your unit, keeping your most valuable items in the back. When self-storage lockers are hit, usually the thieves only grab a few close-to-hand items before they flee. In the unlikely event that your unit gets hit, your truly valuable items will be safe.

Storage and St. Louis Events

St. Louis has dozens of events every year, including tons of free summer concerts around the city. Also, January has The Loop Ice Carnival, which includes a 5K and a 10K “Frozen Buns Run,” February has Soulard Mardi Gras, June has the St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival, and those are just a few of many. Every month has at least one big event. This means two things for self-storage and your needs. First, all those booths, stages, floats, and decorations need to go somewhere during the rest of the year. Often, that means into self-storage lockers. When you’re visiting your own unit, it’ might be fun to think about the festival items stored around you, just waiting for their time to shine again. Second, it means traffic, possibly between you and your self-storage unit. While most of us need to go to our units once a month or so, if you happen to go on the day of a big event, you may find it taking longer than you care for to get there. The simple solution is to be aware of what’s happening on any given day and to understand how it affects traffic. If an event is taking place between your home and your storage locker, be aware that you may need to take a detour.