US refrigerated warehouse capacity in 2021

Every two year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes a report presenting data on the number of refrigerated warehouses in the country. The latest biennal report was published late January 2022, presenting data for the year 2021.

 

The USDA estimated gross refrigerated storage capacity in the US to be around 105.6 million cubic metres (3.73 billion cubic feet) in 2021. Usable refrigerated storage capacity, defined as the actual area used for storing commodities, represented 81% of the gross space. The total number of refrigerated warehouses was 904.

 

There was about 17.4 million cubic metres (0.61 billion cubic feet) of usable cooler capacity, defined as spaces that maintain temperatures between 0 and 10°C (0 and 50°F). There were approximately 68.3 million cubic metres (2.41 billion cubic feet) of usable freezer capacity, defined as spaces that maintain temperatures of about –17.8°C (0°F) or lower.

The authors of the USDA survey indicate that their figures should be considered as minimum figures. Indeed, the USDA survey only included warehouses that stored food products for 30 days or more at a temperature of 10° C (50° F) or lower. Facilities where the entire inventory was turned over more than once a month were excluded.

 

The report is available here.