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Sioux Falls, SD: Top Things to Know About Storage

Krista Diamond | July 15, 2016 @ 1:58 PM

It’s Growing Fast

When you tell someone that you live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, they might react like they have no idea where you’re talking about. Trust us, that attitude won’t last long. Sioux Falls is one of the fastest growing cities in the country (the 47th fastest, to be precise). In fact, the population increased by 22% between 2000 and 2010. That’s kind of a lot. Currently, the city has an estimated population of 171,544 people and the metro area makes up for 29% of the state’s population. When a city grows this fast, everything in the area works hard to keep up with the pace. It seems like every day there are new homes, restaurants and yep, storage facilities popping up in Sioux Falls. As of right now, there are currently 31 facilities in the city, which works out to be 17,050 individual units. Basically, there are enough storage units for 10% of the city’s population to have one. That’s not too bad, but when you consider how often people use storage to make moving easier (hooray for month-to-month leases on storage units!), it’s worthwhile to plan ahead if you know you’re going to need some extra space so you that you can find the best unit at the best price.

Mo’ Money, Less Problems

That’s how we see it anyway. Sioux Falls has an impressively low unemployment rate and an impressively high number of white collar job opportunities. Thanks to the lack of corporate income tax in the state, Sioux Falls has found itself a popular city for large banks to bring their offices to (Wells Fargo and Capital One are two examples). In addition to a robust job market, Sioux Falls also has a reasonable cost of living. As is often the case in cities with affordable housing options, self-storage is affordable too. You can get a 10x10 unit for just $63 at Lock It & Leave It Storage. In some cities, $63 wouldn’t even get you a 5x5. A bigger unit means more space to store your stuff and more space to store your stuff means less clutter in your home. Use our handy size guide to figure out how much space you need, and if an even bigger unit fits into your budget, consider yourself lucky to have room to grow.

Sioux Falls Feels Like the Only Thing in South Dakota

Sure, Sioux Falls might sometimes feel like a small town, but to the rest of the state, it’s a big city. Once you leave the city limits, you won’t find much for...a while. While we’re always big advocates of finding a great deal on storage by searching for a unit outside of the center of an urban area (you can adjust your search radius on StorageFront by using the “Filter Results” button), you won’t have great luck doing that in Sioux Falls. And if you’re someone who doesn’t live in Sioux Falls but is renting a storage unit there because it’s the only place where you can find one, prioritize facilities that offer 24 hour access (again, the “Filter Results” button is your friend). There’s nothing worse than making a long drive only to find out that the business you’re going to is closed, so save yourself the hassle and find a facility that lets you come and go as you please.

And speaking of driving, did you know that Sioux Falls is often ranked as one of the safest driving cities in the country? That’s good news no matter what part of town your storage unit is in.

Rising Population, Rising Crime

When a city grows, it attracts a bunch of cool new people who make the community even better. Unfortunately, it can also attract some unsavory characters too. That’s the story with crime in Sioux Falls anyway. From 2010 to 2015, violent crime rose by 37.7%. Property crime is on the rise too with 4,938 reported crimes annually. Many crimes in the city are methamphetamine related. You can rest assured that action is being taken to get things under control, but it’s always a good idea to do everything in your own power to keep yourself and your stuff safe. This is especially important when renting a storage unit. Your first step is to find a facility with excellent security features. This means gates, cameras, good lighting, restricted access and either a dedicated security team or a staff that patrols the property often. Your next step is to choose a good lock. Some facilities will provide you with a lock or rent one to you. If you’re presented with several options, always choose a disc lock, as these are pretty much impossible to cut. Lastly, place items in your unit according to value. Your most valuable possessions should go in the back while your least valuable should go in the front. If in the unlikely event that your unit gets broken into, thieves will only be able to take a certain amount of items before the facility's security kicks in. Yes, it sucks having your unit get broken into in the first place, but it sucks a lot less when your box of old clothes gets stolen instead of that box of diamonds in the back. P.S. Don’t keep a box of diamonds in your storage unit.

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