Illinois self storage cost: Chicago on the record, downstate not
No free source publishes an average self-storage price for Illinois, by state or by unit size, so this page does not invent one. What can be checked is what the largest US operator reports to the SEC. Public Storage's Form 10-K, FY2025 gives annual realized rent per occupied square foot of $21.13 for its 132 same-store facilities in Chicago, +3.1% on 2024, slightly below its whole US same-store figure of $22.54. It lists no other Illinois market. That is one operator's filed figure, not a price for your unit.
By Oliver Wakefield-Smith. Reviewed 16 October 2026.
Public Storage's Chicago figure, as filed
Public Storage Form 10-K, FY2025 / same-store / Illinois
| Market | PSA same-store facilities | 2025 rent per occupied sq ft per year | Change vs 2024 | Occupancy 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 132 | $21.13 | +3.1% | 92.7% |
| For comparison: All 2,565 US same-store facilities | 2,565 | $22.54 | +0.5% | 92.0% |
| For comparison: All other markets (outside the 25 named metros) | 673 | $16.28 | +0.4% | 91.5% |
Chicago
$21.13
per occupied sq ft a year · +3.1% vs 2024 · 92.7% occupied · 132 facilities
For comparison: All 2,565 US same-store facilities
$22.54
per occupied sq ft a year · +0.5% vs 2024 · 92.0% occupied · 2,565 facilities
For comparison: All other markets (outside the 25 named metros)
$16.28
per occupied sq ft a year · +0.4% vs 2024 · 91.5% occupied · 673 facilities
Source: Public Storage, Form 10-K, FY2025, filed 12 February 2026, table "Same Store Facilities Operating Trends by Market" (page 35), read on SEC EDGAR 16 October 2026. Realized rent per occupied square foot is ANNUAL dollars, all unit sizes and climate types blended, net of discounts, across Public Storage's same-store facilities in each metro. It is one operator's figure, not a state or market average, not a monthly rent and not a quote for any unit. Other operators and independents in the same metro can price higher or lower.
Chicago is a big-city market that does not price like the coasts. In Public Storage's own portfolio its Chicago rent per occupied square foot ($21.13) is well under its New York figure ($32.97) and a little below its US average, though comfortably above the $16.28 of its facilities outside the 25 named metros. Occupancy, at 92.7%, was above the portfolio's 92.0%, and rent rose faster than the portfolio did.
Do not multiply this figure into a monthly price for a 10x10 or any other size. It blends every size and climate type across a whole metro, from the Loop to the outer suburbs, and small units rent for more per square foot than large ones, so the conversion needs a size-mix assumption nobody publishes. No Chicago neighbourhood, suburb or downstate city gets a number here, because the filing gives none.
What drives the Chicago-versus-downstate gap
Land. As everywhere, land is a major input in storage rent. A site near the Loop or on the North Side costs far more than one in the outer suburbs, and much more again than one in Peoria or Springfield, and the rent follows.
Property tax. Cook County's property tax on commercial property is widely regarded as heavy. The Cook County Assessor values each property and many overlapping districts (city, schools, parks, county and others) levy against that value. Operators recover property tax through rent, so it is part of the gap between Cook County and the collar counties or downstate, though nobody publishes how large a part. Facilities with older, lower assessments can afford to price below a newly built or recently sold competitor, which is one reason an older independent facility is worth quoting.
Demand density. Dense neighbourhoods of apartments with little in-unit storage, plus a lot of moving in late spring and summer, keep city facilities full. Outer suburbs and downstate towns have more garages and basements and more room to build.
Getting a real Illinois quote
- Quote the same size at three facilities, including one outside Cook County or further from the city centre if you can reach it.
- Ask for the standard rate and the promotional rate separately. Public Storage's 10-K describes move-in offers such as "$1.00 rent for the first month", and says: "We typically increase rental rates to our long-term tenants (generally, those who have been with us for at least five months) every six to twelve months." Budget on the standard rate.
- Ask about fees, tax and protection. Administration fee, any tax line on the receipt, lock, and whether a protection plan or proof of insurance is required.
- Decide on climate control by contents. Freeze-thaw winters make it worth quoting for furniture, electronics, instruments and documents.
- Time it. End of the academic year and the summer moving peak are the busiest periods near campuses and in the city.