Phoenix Self Storage

Phoenix, Arizona is located in Maricopa County and is the capital and largest city in the State of Arizona.  It is the 6th most populated city in the United States based on the 2010 U.S. Census data.  The City of Phoenix encompasses 519 square miles of which 0.2 square miles are water.

Phoenix is located in the northeastern part of the Salt River Valley and has a subtropical arid climate with hot summers and mild winters.  Summer temperatures average over 100 degrees. The city is generally flat with mountains in and around the city.

The City of Phoenix has been divided into 15 urban villages: Ahwatukee Foothills, Alhambra, Camelback East, Central City, Deer Valley, Desert View, Encanto, Estrella, Laveen, Maryvale, North Gateway, North Mountain, Paradise Valley, South Mountain and Rio Vista. 

Phoenix streets are laid out in a traditional grid system.  The city is served by I-10, I-70, US 60, SR 51, SR 85, SR 143, Loop 101, and Loop 102.

Phoenix is served by the Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) located to the east of downtown.  Sky Harbor is the 10th busiest airport in the United States.   Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (IATA) in the northwestern part of the city handles primarily private and corporate jets.  There are also two municipal airports including Glendale Municipal Airport and Phoenix Goodyear Airport.  Storage facilities located near airports can benefit greatly as businesses or individuals may be required to store items that are shipped to them via air.

The 2009 population of Phoenix was 1,601,587 which was a 21.2% increase in population from 2000 to 2009. The estimated median household income in 2009 was $47,085. The median age of Phoenix residents is 30.7 years. The estimated median house or condo value in 2009 was $182,300.   The median gross rent (2009) was $836.

The population density for this area is considered average at 3,373 people per square mile. The racial demographic of Phoenix (2009) breakdown showed 45.5% White, 43.2% Hispanic, 5.35 African American, and 2.8% Asian.

Phoenix is the home to several Fortune 500 companies including: Allied Waste (waste management company), Avnet (electronics corporation), Apollo Group (operator of University of Phoenix), Freeport-McMoRan (mining company), PetSmart (retailer), Pinnacle West (energy supplier), Mesa Air Group (regional airline group), Honeywell’s Aerospace Division, Intel, American Express, U-Haul International, and Best Western.

Luke Air Force Base located in western part of Phoenix.  There is always a significant turnover of military personnel moving in and out of an area near an Air Force Base.  These individuals would benefit from having storages places nearby.

Approximately 69.3% of the residents of Phoenix also work in the City of Phoenix. The most common industries in Phoenix as of 2009 showed the following:

Phoenix has several RV parks.  There are always individuals that migrate from the colder northern states to the warmer southern states during the winter months.  These individuals would likely be looking for public storage since there is not much room for storage in a RV if that is where they are staying for the winter.  And for people that return to the same area year after year with their RV they would likely be looking for self storage to put items they will be using the following year rather than hauling these items back and forth.

There are several colleges located in Phoenix area – Arizona State University (main campus and branches), Grand Canyon University, Midwestern University in Glendale northwest of Phoenix, Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, American Indian College, The Art Institute of Phoenix, Western Governors University, The University of Phoenix, University of Advancing Technology, Collins Campus, DeVry University, Argosy University, Fortis College, Maricopa County Community College, The Phoenix School of Law, and the Phoenix Seminary.  

The areas near the campus of institutes of higher learning are in need of secure storage facilities.  There are students coming in and out of the area in both off campus and on campus housing that will need a place to store their personal belongings when they are not taking classes and would benefit from nearby secure storage facilities so they would not be required to haul all their personal items home to just turn around and haul them back again when they come back to the area to resume classes.

Across a good portion of the country, homes with basements are quite common.  This is not necessarily the case in Phoenix.  Though some homes do have basements, the majority do not.  As those with basements in their home know that it is an ideal place for storing items but since the residents in this area of the country do not have basement storage, they are required to use self storage facilities to store their personal items.

Phoenix is the sports lovers’ paradise.  This area has wonderful golf courses, hiking trails, biking trails, rock climbing, etc.   And sports lovers need a place to store their sporting equipment and take advantage of nearby personal storage facilities.

The location, the climate, the infrastructure, the businesses and colleges located in Phoenix bode well for the need of storage units in and around Phoenix.  This area continues to increase in population as people move into the area.  There was a 21.2% increase in the population from 2000 to 2009 and all signs indicate that this population growth will continue.

Statistical information obtained from City-Data.com.  Retrieved June 17, 2011.