We are excited to add thousands more Public Storage units in Dallas-Fort Worth to support this “Silicon Prairie,” one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.

In fact, our team added so many new storage locations for customers in the region that there are now more than 55% more today than there were at this time last year.

That’s a good thing for people who flocked to towns in the North Texas hub for affordable homes and jobs only to find that costs are going up for residents there too. Thankfully, renting storage for a little extra space is more economical than buying a new, larger home.

Just this last week, we opened more than 40 locations as part of our ongoing commitment to bring our Orange Doors closer to customers in areas of greatest need. It is one of the largest expansions for the company with more than 2,700 locations founded with a single store in 1972.

These beautiful new properties feature brick façades and all-indoor climate controlled storage units for residents and business storage customers. It also adds storage in cities that are part of the greater region where we don’t currently have locations.

Public Storage recently closed on the previously announced acquisition of 56 self-storage properties from its competitor All Storage, totaling 7.5 million net rentable square feet. Of those, 52 properties are in Dallas-Fort Worth including in outlying cities.

“What’s exciting is it puts us in areas we’re not currently serving customers,” said Michael McGowan, a senior vice president on the Public Storage real estate team. “Our additions are in great places to live and one of the top growing areas of the United States.”

The additions bring our total in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to nearly 200 locations and 17.0 million net rentable square feet.

The additional All Storage properties are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (3), and Killeen, Texas.

A handful of the newly acquired locations offer an overhang in front of outdoor units to protect from weather. In addition, more than two dozen facilities offer drive thru access, which allows customers to drive into the climate controlled facility to unload and load their units.

“We’re also in areas where we’ve never been able to send people before,” said Erika Trovato, a district manager in Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Experiencing Growth

Fort Worth is one of the fastest -growing cities in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And with 7.5 million people who call the Dallas-Fort Worth region home, it’s jumped up to the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country. With this growing region, Public Storage is here to provide customers with storage solutions.

“It’s still very affordable but very family-friendly and great life for a single life—it’s a good blend,” Trovato said. “It’s fast-growing and new neighborhoods are popping up left and right. It’s been growing non-stop in the last 10 years.”

It was also recently rated as one of the best places to retire by AARP because of its idyllic living and focus on age-friendly amenities. With open spaces such as Trinity Park and Marion Sansom Park, there are miles of paved bike trails. The city has also invested in expanding its TexRail public transportation service.

Even though Seattle is also one of the fastest growing cities, Fort Worth’s cost of living is 70% less than the “Emerald City.” The median cost for a three-bedroom home in Seattle is $826,000 meanwhile the same house will cost a little over $269,000 in Fort Worth, according to Nerd Wallet. Residents in Seattle pay 41% more in entertainment-related costs and 39% higher for groceries than Fort Worth.

Yet the area is also less expensive than Austin, which is becoming one of the most expensive in the country.

Several large corporations are headquartered in Dallas-Ft Worth such as American Airlines, Toyota and Michaels stores. Meanwhile corporations like Facebook, JP Chase and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics have a large presence in Fort Worth.

“The best thing about Fort Worth is that it’s a big-city mindset but a small-town feel. Everybody knows everybody and we have our brick roads,” Trovato said.

Fort Worth’s downtown is also less than 20 miles from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport which makes it a draw for not only businesses but residents alike.

Fort Worth Offers Western Charm

Dubbed the “City of Cowboys and Culture,” residents and visitors alike can pay tribute to Fort Worth’s past while enjoying today’s amenities.

The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District is where brick walkways and wooden corrals remind you of the western charm of this city. Here spectators can stand by and watch a herd of longhorn cattle stroll down East Exchange Avenue—twice a day.

The hub of downtown Fort Worth is Sundance Square , a 35-square-block shopping and entertainment district in a mix of high-rises and beautifully restored buildings.

Just down the road from some of our newer facilities isTexas Motor Speedway, which hosts NASCAR races several times a year.

But Fort Worth is also near other attractions such as the Dallas Cowboys’ home stadium, which is in the neighboring city of Arlington and a visit to downtown Dallas is less than an hour away.

“We’re so close to big-city attractions that we kind of get the best of both worlds,” Trovato said.

The Dallas-Fort Worth region is also a hub for higher education, with 5 colleges located in Fort Worth, including Texas Christian University. Our acquisition brings us closer to TCU to help us serve students who need extra space in their dorm room or apartment.

As the region continues to grow, Public Storage will be right there with the communities to meet their storage needs.