# TractIQ September 2026 Data: U.S. Street Rates Turn +2.9% While Web Rates Stay Flat and the Online Discount Widens to 19%

> Walk-in asking rates finally printed positive nationally in September 2026, but online advertised rates did not follow. TractIQ puts street rates at $1.41 PSF, web at $1.17, and only 587 projects actively under construction against a 3,278-project pipeline.

- URL: https://www.yourcaio.co/news/tractiq-september-2026-street-rates-2-9-percent-web-gap-november-2026
- Published: 2026-11-02
- Author: David Cartolano (https://www.yourcaio.co/about)
- Category: Market Trends
- Tags: TractIQ, Street Rates, Web Rates, Occupancy, Supply Pipeline
- Source: [TractIQ](https://tractiq.com/self-storage-market-data/)

## Key Takeaways

- TractIQ reported the average U.S. self-storage street rate at $1.41 per square foot per month as of September 30, 2026, up 2.9% year over year, while the average web rate stayed at $1.17 PSF, flat versus September 2025.
- National 10×10 pricing translated to roughly $129 per month non-climate-controlled and $153 climate-controlled on street rates, versus about $104 and $121 online, with TractIQ measuring a 19% online discount versus walk-in asking rates.
- Physical occupancy across CMBS-reporting facilities averaged 85.7% over the 12 months to Q2 2026, with REIT-managed assets at 90.8%, sophisticated operators at 84.0%, and non-designated operators at 87.2%.
- Only 587 of 3,278 tracked development projects were actively under construction in September 2026, representing 34.7 million rentable square feet or 1.40% of existing U.S. supply, while 65.1% of projects remained in planning or design.
- TractIQ counted 68,243 existing U.S. facilities holding 2.48 billion net rentable square feet, with REITs managing 29.61% of existing square footage and median asking cap rates on 232 marketplace listings at 6.79% as of October 7, 2026.

TractIQ's September 30, 2026 national snapshot shows the average U.S. self-storage **street rate at $1.41 per square foot per month**, up **2.9% year over year**, while the average **web rate held at $1.17 PSF**, **flat** versus September 2025. That split matters: walk-in asking prices inflected positive nationally even as online acquisition rates stayed stuck, widening the typical **19%** discount shoppers see on the web.

The release lands in the same month [Yardi Matrix reported national advertised rates down 1.8% year over year](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/yardi-matrix-october-2026-advertised-rates-1-8-percent-september-2026) and [Cubby documented REITs cutting median online 10×10 rates 8.6% from May through September](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/cubby-state-of-self-storage-q3-2026-reit-rate-cuts-october-2026). TractIQ's methodology explains part of the tension: it tracks **street** (walk-in) and **web** (discounted online) separately rather than blending them into one advertised index.

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## Why Did Street Rates Turn Positive While Web Rates Did Not?

Street rate growth bottomed at **-24.7%** year over year in December 2024, per TractIQ's history back to March 2018. September 2026's **+2.9%** print is the clearest national walk-in recovery since that trough, even though rates remain **36% below** the August 2021 peak of **$2.21 PSF**.

Web rates tell a different funnel story. They peaked at **$1.87 PSF** in July 2021 and sat at **$1.17** in September 2026. Web growth was **0.0%** from May through July 2026 and again in September after a **-3.9%** August dip. Operators are holding or cutting acquisition price online while letting walk-in boards drift up with existing tenant economics.

| Rate series | Sept. 2026 avg. | YoY change | Typical use |
|------|------|------|------|
| Street (walk-in) | $1.41 PSF | +2.9% | In-store quoting, ECRI context |
| Web (online advertised) | $1.17 PSF | 0.0% | Google Shopping, move-in promos |
| Gap | ~19% discount | Widened from ~16% | Competitive web benchmarking |

For a **10×10**, TractIQ translates those averages into **$129** street and **$104** web for non-climate-controlled product, and **$153** versus **$121** for climate-controlled, with a **17%** climate premium on street rates at the same facilities.

---

## What Do Occupancy and Operator Cohorts Signal?

Supply relief is showing up in occupancy before it fully shows up in web rate growth. TractIQ's CMBS panel, covering more than **$50 billion** of financed assets, averaged **85.7%** physical occupancy over the 12 months to Q2 2026, down **0.5** points from the prior year but stabilizing above the **84.4%** Q4 2025 trough.

Management type still separates winners:

| Cohort | Trailing-12-month occupancy (Q2 2026) |
|------|------|
| REIT-managed | 90.8% |
| Non-designated operators | 87.2% |
| Sophisticated operators | 84.0% |
| All CMBS-reporting | 85.7% |

That **6.8-point** spread between REIT and sophisticated-operator cohorts rhymes with [Capright's October 2026 ECRI-versus-street gap work on Public Storage](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/capright-october-2026-reit-occupancy-ecri-street-gap-2026) and with [Extra Space's 94.0% same-store occupancy in Q3](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/extra-space-storage-q3-2026-earnings-core-ffo-guidance-october-2026). National street rate growth is modest, but the operators already full are pricing off in-place contracts, not web promos.

---

## How Tight Is the Real Construction Pipeline?

TractIQ counts **3,278** development projects totaling **171.4 million** rentable square feet, or **6.90%** of existing supply. That headline overstates deliverable inventory. **65.1%** of projects sit in planning, design, or conceptual stages where attrition is high.

Only **587** projects were **actively under construction**, representing **34.7 million** square feet, or **1.40%** of existing stock. That aligns with [BMS's fall 2026 forecast of sharply lower completions](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/bms-fall-2026-self-storage-street-rates-supply-outlook-october-2026) and with the supply narrative [CubeSmart and peers raised in Q3 earnings](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/cubesmart-q3-2026-earnings-guidance-october-2026).

REITs already control **29.61%** of existing square footage across **68,243** facilities and **2.48 billion** net rentable square feet nationally (**7.28** square feet per capita). Smaller developers still announce projects, but the **1.40%** under-construction ratio is the number capital markets watch when underwriting 2027 lease-up risk.

---

## What Should Operators Do With Conflicting National Headlines?

Three practical reads fall out of TractIQ's September close.

First, **do not manage ECRI off web averages alone**. Street rates rising **2.9%** while web rates are flat means your move-in funnel may still require discounts even as walk-in boards improve. [Stitch Storage's public pricing launch](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/stitch-storage-public-pricing-launch-october-2026) is one response: make fee and promo logic legible before regulators or marketplaces force the issue.

Second, **underwrite supply using active construction, not pipeline counts**. Planning-stage projects in TractIQ's database may never break ground, especially where [Atlanta extended its storage moratorium debate into 2027](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/atlanta-office-institutional-storage-moratorium-extension-october-2026).

Third, **compare your market file to national averages**. TractIQ's page explicitly warns that MSAs diverge; national **+2.9%** street growth can coexist with [Yardi's all-top-30-metro monthly declines in September](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/yardi-matrix-october-2026-advertised-rates-1-8-percent-september-2026) because the indices weight different price series and geographies.

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## The Numbers Worth Writing Down

- **$1.41** national street rate PSF; **+2.9%** YoY (Sept. 30, 2026)
- **$1.17** national web rate PSF; **0.0%** YoY
- **~19%** web discount to street; up from **~16%** a year earlier
- **85.7%** CMBS occupancy (trailing 12 months to Q2 2026)
- **90.8%** REIT cohort occupancy in the same panel
- **1.40%** of existing supply under active construction (**587** projects)
- **6.79%** median asking cap rate on TractIQ marketplace listings (Oct. 7, 2026)

---

## Walk-In Recovery, Web Stalemate

TractIQ's September 2026 close is the clearest evidence yet that **2026's turnaround is an occupancy and street-rate story first**, not a return to aggressive online list pricing.

Operators who conflate the two series will misprice move-ins. Operators who ignore the **1.40%** construction ratio will misread how long competition stays rational in their submarket. The national averages are directionally bullish; your comp set's street-versus-web gap is where the next quarter gets won or lost.

---

## Sources

- [Self-Storage Market Data, September 2026](https://tractiq.com/self-storage-market-data/), TractIQ
- [Self-Storage Data Sources and Methodology](https://tractiq.com/data-sources/), TractIQ
- [Yardi Matrix October 2026 Advertised Rates](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/yardi-matrix-october-2026-advertised-rates-1-8-percent-september-2026), Your CAIO
- [Cubby State of Self Storage Q3 2026 REIT Rate Cuts](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/cubby-state-of-self-storage-q3-2026-reit-rate-cuts-october-2026), Your CAIO
- [CubeSmart Q3 2026 Earnings and Guidance](https://www.yourcaio.co/news/cubesmart-q3-2026-earnings-guidance-october-2026), Your CAIO

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What was the average U.S. self-storage street rate in September 2026?

TractIQ put the national average street rate at $1.41 per square foot per month as of September 30, 2026, up 2.9% from September 2025. Web rates averaged $1.17 PSF over the same period, unchanged year over year, widening the typical online discount to about 19% below walk-in asking rates.

### How much does a 10×10 storage unit cost nationally according to TractIQ?

In September 2026 TractIQ averaged 10×10 non-climate-controlled street rates at $1.29 PSF and climate-controlled at $1.53 PSF, roughly $129 and $153 per month for 100 square feet. Advertised web rates for the same unit types were $1.04 and $1.21 PSF, about $104 and $121 monthly.

### What share of self-storage supply is actually under construction?

TractIQ tracked 587 projects actively under construction totaling 34.7 million rentable square feet, equal to 1.40% of existing U.S. supply as of September 2026. Another 2,134 projects sat in planning or design, so the full 3,278-project pipeline overstates near-term deliveries.

### How does TractIQ occupancy compare across operator types?

Over the 12 months to Q2 2026, TractIQ reported 85.7% physical occupancy across CMBS-reporting facilities. REIT-managed properties averaged 90.8%, non-designated operators 87.2%, and sophisticated operators 84.0%, using each facility's most recent reading in the trailing year.

### Why do TractIQ street rates disagree with Yardi Matrix advertised-rate declines?

The datasets measure different price series and weighting. TractIQ separates walk-in street rates from discounted web rates across its facility database, while Yardi Matrix's October 2026 national bulletin cited a 1.8% year-over-year drop in advertised rates through September 2026. Operators should benchmark to the series that matches how they price move-ins versus in-place tenants.

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Cite as: David Cartolano, "TractIQ September 2026 Data: U.S. Street Rates Turn +2.9% While Web Rates Stay Flat and the Online Discount Widens to 19%," YourCAIO.co, 2026-11-02, https://www.yourcaio.co/news/tractiq-september-2026-street-rates-2-9-percent-web-gap-november-2026