10x10 Storage Units: What Fits and What They Cost
A 10x10 storage unit is 100 square feet and rents for a national median of $82/mo across the 2888 priced 10x10 units we track. It fits a one-bedroom apartment: appliances, furniture, many boxes.
What fits in a 10x10?
A 10x10 is 10 feet wide and 10 feet deep, or 100 square feet of floor. In practice that holds:
- The furniture of a one-bedroom apartment: a queen bed, a dresser, a sofa, a coffee table, and a dining set
- A washer, a dryer, and a refrigerator, with wall space left over
- A living room and a bedroom emptied for a renovation, with a center aisle kept open
- A television, mirrors, and artwork stood on edge along a wall rather than stacked flat
In boxes: a medium moving box is 18 by 18 inches at the base, or 2.25 square feet, so 100 square feet is room for about 44 of them in a single layer on the floor. Boxes stack, so 4 layers, roughly chest height, is on the order of 176 boxes. Both figures assume you use every square foot and never need to reach the bottom of a stack, so treat them as the ceiling on what a 10x10 holds rather than a packing plan.
What does not fit in a 10x10?
The limits are easier to check than the capacity, because each one comes down to a single measurement:
- A car. A 10x10 is 10 feet deep and most sedans are around 15 feet long.
- A three-bedroom house. This size is a one-bedroom, and a full one at that.
- Everything at once and a walkway. A 2- to 3-foot aisle down a 10-foot-deep unit costs 20 to 30 square feet, a fifth to a third of the unit.
- Anything wider than 10 feet. Every size from here up is 10 feet wide; only the depth changes.
What the size name does not tell you
Ceiling height. A 10x10 is 100 square feet of floor and the name says nothing about how high you can go. At an 8-foot ceiling that same footprint encloses roughly 800 cubic feet, and more than half of that volume sits above waist height. Ceiling heights vary between buildings and are not part of the advertised size, so ask the facility rather than assuming.
The door opening. The door is not the same as the 10-foot wall behind it. Roll-up and swing doors are sized independently of the unit, so measure your widest single item, such as a sofa, a mattress, or a refrigerator, and confirm the door dimensions with the facility, not just the unit dimensions.
How you reach it. Two 10x10 units at the same price can be very different to move into. A drive-up unit you back a truck up to; an interior unit means a hallway, possibly an elevator, and then 10 feet of carrying at the far end. On moving day that difference is measured in hours.
The mistake people make with a 10x10
The 10x10 is the default answer, which is exactly why it is the one people get wrong.
Every size chart names it for a one-bedroom, so it is where most size guides point you. Two things go wrong from there. The first is appliances: a washer, a dryer, and a refrigerator take roughly 20 square feet of floor before a single box goes in. The second is the aisle. A 10x10 packed wall to wall is a solid block, and the thing you need first is always at the back. If your load is a one-bedroom plus appliances, or you expect to get into the unit more than once, the honest comparison is a 10x10 against a 10x15, not a 10x10 against a 5x10.
When a 10x10 is the right size
- A one-bedroom apartment between leases
- A whole-floor renovation where the furniture has to leave for months
- Two roommates splitting one unit and its cost
- A household that has sold one home and not yet moved into the next
- Business stock or equipment that has outgrown a spare room
What a 10x10 costs
The national median is $82/mo, across the 2888 priced 10x10 units we track. That is a midpoint across every city on this site, not a quote: it is the online rate operators publish on their own sites, half the units we track are above it, and none of it accounts for local rates or promotions. Use your own city's page for the number you will actually pay.
5x10 vs 10x10 vs 10x15
Stepping up from a 10x10 to a 10x15 adds 50 square feet, 50% more floor. Both units are 10 feet wide, so every one of those square feet is depth. The unit gets longer, not roomier across.
| Size | Sq ft | vs 10x10 | What fits | Priced units tracked | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5x10 | 50 sq ft | −50 sq ft (−50%) | A walk-in closet: a mattress set, a couch, several boxes. | 1687 | $58/mo |
| 10x10 | 100 sq ft | Same | A one-bedroom apartment: appliances, furniture, many boxes. | 2888 | $82/mo |
| 10x15 | 150 sq ft | +50 sq ft (+50%) | A two-bedroom apartment or small house. | 1893 | $113.40/mo |
Cheapest 10x10 storage unit by city
| City | Cheapest 10x10 | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | $11/mo | Extra Space Storage at 5550 Antoine Dr |
| San Antonio, TX | $14/mo | Public Storage at 1938 NE Loop 410 |
| Dallas, TX | $17/mo | Public Storage at 3443 Sorrento Drive |
| Atlanta, GA | $17/mo | Public Storage at 680 Piedmont Road |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $21.60/mo | Public Storage at 1530 SW 119th St |
| Austin, TX | $22/mo | Public Storage at 7200 S 1st Street |
| Charlotte, NC | $22/mo | Public Storage at 10833 Monroe Road |
| Las Vegas, NV | $24/mo | Public Storage at 38 N Lamb Blvd |
| Louisville, KY | $28/mo | Public Storage at 7818 Saint Andrews Church Rd |
| Chicago, IL | $34/mo | Public Storage at 2023 Schmale Rd |
| Philadelphia, PA | $34/mo | Public Storage at 6225 Oxford Ave |
| Denver, CO | $36/mo | Public Storage at 6800 W 118th Ave |
| Nashville, TN | $40/mo | Public Storage at 671 Myatt Drive |
| Seattle, WA | $41/mo | Public Storage at 23439 Pacific Hwy S |
| Miami, FL | $46/mo | Public Storage at 16970 NW 4th Ave |
| San Jose, CA | $46/mo | Public Storage at 965 Felipe Ave |
| Portland, OR | $48/mo | Public Storage at 6250 NW Friberg Strunk St |
| Los Angeles, CA | $55/mo | Public Storage at 19102 E Walnut Drive N |
| San Diego, CA | $60/mo | Public Storage at 8000 Raytheon Road |
| El Paso, TX | $72/mo | Public Storage at 11290 Pebble Hills Blvd |
Common questions about 10x10 storage units
How much does a 10x10 storage unit cost?
The national median online rate for a 10x10 is $82/mo, across the 2888 priced 10x10 units we track. Half of those units are cheaper than that and half are more expensive. What you actually pay depends on the city and the individual facility, so compare your own city rather than budgeting from the median.
What fits in a 10x10 storage unit?
A one-bedroom apartment: a queen bed, a dresser, a sofa, a dining set, and major appliances, with boxes stacked along the walls. At 100 square feet it is the smallest size you can walk into and still reach both side walls.
Is a 10x10 big enough for a two-bedroom apartment?
Only if the second bedroom is mostly empty. A two-bedroom adds a second bed, a second dresser, and the boxes that come with a second occupant. If both bedrooms are furnished, compare a 10x15, which is 150 square feet, before booking a 10x10.
Can you fit a car in a 10x10 storage unit?
No. A 10x10 is 10 feet deep and most cars are around 15 feet long. The smallest standard size long enough for a car is a 10x20, which is deeper than the 18-foot length of a standard parking space. Whether a given facility rents units for vehicle storage is set by that facility, so ask before reserving.