There is a large population of people that find cluster mailbox units aggravating and inconvenient due to the fact they require a resident to walk outside of their home to a community mail unit to retrieve their mail.

Sometimes the cluster mailbox is very near to the resident's living quarters but sometimes it's not.

However, using cluster mailbox units is growing, especially in areas of townhouse development.

These kinds of mailboxes are being used for various reasons, with one being the reduction of work they require of the mail service workers.

Cluster mailboxes require the mail carrier to make fewer stops, and that's why they are heavily supported by the United States Postal Service.

The size of the development determines how many cluster box units are installed. Smaller developments may have only one group of boxes for the whole community while larger developments may have cluster box units scattered throughout the community to make it more convenient for the residents.

Cluster boxes were very much opposed when they were first introduced in the 70s and 80s. Because homeowners were accustomed to reaching outside their front door into their house mail box or accustomed to walking only the short distance to their curb to retrieve their mail, they felt cluster mailboxes left them with the chore of walking much further to get their mail items. In fact, they felt cluster mailboxes were only used due to laziness of mail carriers at the time.

Of course, things have changed dramatically and today residents aren't as worried about the short walk to the cluster mail box units. Many young people are so accustomed to seeing them in apartment or townhome communities that they don't even think twice about cluster mailboxes being used. They realize cluster mailboxes offer security and convenience for the overall population.

While they may not offer great convenience for some residents and families, cluster mailboxes do offer high security for those living in highly populated areas. Cluster mailboxes come with locks and keys, which allow the mail to be much safer than it otherwise would be in a unlocked curbside mailbox.

Of course, the fact the cluster mailboxes are out in the open also make them naturally more secure. In addition, with a larger emphasis on walking and getting any type of physical exercise possible, people are less likely to complain about a larger walk to get their mail.