diff --git a/stringdtype/stringdtype/__init__.py b/stringdtype/stringdtype/__init__.py
index 9bf20952..7e727903 100644
--- a/stringdtype/stringdtype/__init__.py
+++ b/stringdtype/stringdtype/__init__.py
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 """
 
 from .scalar import StringScalar  # isort: skip
-from ._main import StringDType
+from ._main import StringDType, _memory_usage
 
-__all__ = ["StringDType", "StringScalar"]
+__all__ = [
+    "StringDType",
+    "StringScalar",
+    "_memory_usage",
+]
diff --git a/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/dtype.h b/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/dtype.h
index 7f7496ff..c10cf67b 100644
--- a/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/dtype.h
+++ b/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/dtype.h
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ new_stringdtype_instance(void);
 int
 init_string_dtype(void);
 
+// from dtypemeta.h, not public in numpy
+#define NPY_DTYPE(descr) ((PyArray_DTypeMeta *)Py_TYPE(descr))
+
 #endif /*_NPY_DTYPE_H*/
diff --git a/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/main.c b/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/main.c
index d2591dc5..7cc79de6 100644
--- a/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/main.c
+++ b/stringdtype/stringdtype/src/main.c
@@ -6,12 +6,81 @@
 #include "numpy/experimental_dtype_api.h"
 
 #include "dtype.h"
+#include "static_string.h"
 #include "umath.h"
 
+static PyObject *
+_memory_usage(PyObject *NPY_UNUSED(self), PyObject *obj)
+{
+    if (!PyArray_Check(obj)) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
+                        "can only be called with ndarray object");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    PyArrayObject *arr = (PyArrayObject *)obj;
+
+    PyArray_Descr *descr = PyArray_DESCR(arr);
+    PyArray_DTypeMeta *dtype = NPY_DTYPE(descr);
+
+    if (dtype != &StringDType) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError,
+                        "can only be called with a StringDType array");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    NpyIter *iter =
+            NpyIter_New(arr, NPY_ITER_READONLY | NPY_ITER_EXTERNAL_LOOP,
+                        NPY_KEEPORDER, NPY_NO_CASTING, NULL);
+
+    if (iter == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    NpyIter_IterNextFunc *iternext = NpyIter_GetIterNext(iter, NULL);
+
+    if (iternext == NULL) {
+        NpyIter_Deallocate(iter);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    char **dataptr = NpyIter_GetDataPtrArray(iter);
+    npy_intp *strideptr = NpyIter_GetInnerStrideArray(iter);
+    npy_intp *innersizeptr = NpyIter_GetInnerLoopSizePtr(iter);
+
+    // initialize with the size of the internal buffer
+    size_t memory_usage = PyArray_NBYTES(arr);
+    size_t struct_size = sizeof(ss);
+
+    do {
+        ss **in = (ss **)*dataptr;
+        npy_intp stride = *strideptr / descr->elsize;
+        npy_intp count = *innersizeptr;
+
+        while (count--) {
+            // +1 byte for the null terminator
+            memory_usage += (*in)->len + struct_size + 1;
+            in += stride;
+        }
+
+    } while (iternext(iter));
+
+    PyObject *ret = PyLong_FromSize_t(memory_usage);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+static PyMethodDef string_methods[] = {
+        {"_memory_usage", _memory_usage, METH_O,
+         "get memory usage for an array"},
+        {NULL},
+};
+
 static struct PyModuleDef moduledef = {
         PyModuleDef_HEAD_INIT,
         .m_name = "stringdtype_main",
         .m_size = -1,
+        .m_methods = string_methods,
 };
 
 /* Module initialization function */
diff --git a/stringdtype/tests/test_stringdtype.py b/stringdtype/tests/test_stringdtype.py
index df3d468c..7677571e 100644
--- a/stringdtype/tests/test_stringdtype.py
+++ b/stringdtype/tests/test_stringdtype.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import pytest
 
-from stringdtype import StringDType, StringScalar
+from stringdtype import StringDType, StringScalar, _memory_usage
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -111,3 +111,16 @@ def test_isnan(string_list):
     np.testing.assert_array_equal(
         np.isnan(sarr), np.zeros_like(sarr, dtype=np.bool_)
     )
+
+
+def test_memory_usage(string_list):
+    sarr = np.array(string_list, dtype=StringDType())
+    # 4 bytes for each ASCII string buffer in string_list
+    # (three characters and null terminator)
+    # plus enough bytes for the size_t length
+    # plus enough bytes for the pointer in the array buffer
+    assert _memory_usage(sarr) == (4 + 2 * np.dtype(np.uintp).itemsize) * 3
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        _memory_usage("hello")
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        _memory_usage(np.array([1, 2, 3]))