Owning a vacation rental is a popular way to generate real estate passive income. But if you are considering buying an investment property, choosing a location with strong potential is crucial. That means you need to use comprehensive Airbnb statistics by city from a reliable source.
Many numbers should be taken into account when choosing a top STR market. The most important metrics are the number of Airbnb listings, average daily rate, occupancy rate, and average monthly revenue.
To help you make an informed decision, we’ve partnered with Rabbu, which offers useful Airbnb analytics tools for real estate investors to help them analyze STR properties in the US market. Rabbu conducted a nationwide real estate market analysis and ranked the US cities for each of the main Airbnb statistics you should consider as a real estate investor.
In this article, you’ll find the results of their analysis—the key Airbnb statistics that can help you evaluate the profitability of a market for investing in Airbnb properties. But remember that buying a profitable vacation rental property in a good location and creating a listing on Airbnb and other OTAs is only the first step.
To build a successful business, you must ensure that everything runs smoothly. A smart move is to use reliable vacation rental software like Hospitable that will help you streamline routine operations and manage everything more efficiently.
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Airbnb Statistics by City: Number of Listings
When buying an Airbnb property, you should choose a popular tourist destination with high demand for vacation rentals and focus on locations with no Airbnb restrictions. The easiest way to find an attractive location where the STR industry thrives is to look at the number of Airbnb listings in the area.
Here are the 25 US cities with the highest number of active Airbnb rental properties:
Ranking | City/State | Number of Airbnb Listings |
---|---|---|
1 | Kissimmee—FL | 10746 |
2 | Miami—FL | 7746 |
3 | Austin—TX | 6902 |
4 | San Diego—CA | 6238 |
5 | Las Vegas—NV | 6119 |
6 | Nashville—TN | 5971 |
7 | Houston—TX | 5767 |
8 | Los Angeles—CA | 4978 |
9 | Davenport—FL | 4711 |
10 | Atlanta—GA | 4636 |
11 | Sevierville—TN | 4463 |
12 | Myrtle Beach—SC | 4355 |
13 | Seattle—WA | 4246 |
14 | New Orleans—LA | 4206 |
15 | Fort Lauderdale—FL | 4197 |
16 | Scottsdale—AZ | 4103 |
17 | Orlando—FL | 4032 |
18 | Chicago—IL | 4003 |
19 | Phoenix—AZ | 3989 |
20 | San Antonio—TX | 3941 |
21 | Saint Petersburg—FL | 3856 |
22 | Panama City Beach—FL | 3849 |
23 | Destin—FL | 3800 |
24 | Honolulu—HI | 3714 |
25 | Tampa—FL | 3633 |
Average Airbnb Daily Rate
The average daily rate (or the nightly rate) measures how much hosts ask Airbnb guests to pay to spend a night at their STR property. Along with the occupancy rate, the average daily rate determines the monthly revenue, which, in turn, determines the ROI.
Here is a list of the top 25 US cities with the highest average nightly rate (2023 data):
Ranking | City/State | 12-Month Average Daily Rate ($) |
---|---|---|
1 | Aspen CO | 1 692 |
2 | Malibu CA | 1 549 |
3 | Oak Island NC | 1 042 |
4 | Telluride CO | 1 012 |
5 | East Hampton NY | 995 |
6 | Nantucket MA | 935 |
7 | Vail CO | 890 |
8 | Kamuela HI | 874 |
9 | Lahaina HI | 867 |
10 | Carmel CA | 701 |
11 | Jackson WY | 692 |
12 | State College PA | 683 |
13 | Big Sky MT | 681 |
14 | Pigeon Forge TN | 643 |
15 | Avon CO | 632 |
16 | Sonoma CA | 620 |
17 | Park City UT | 614 |
18 | Indio CA | 609 |
19 | Oxnard CA | 603 |
20 | Truckee CA | 601 |
21 | La Jolla CA | 594 |
22 | Isle Of Palms SC | 581 |
23 | Kahuku HI | 580 |
24 | Koloa HI | 575 |
25 | Kihei HI | 570 |
Remember that locations with the highest average nightly rates typically offer more profitable investment opportunities. But you need to consider nightly rates, median property prices, and recurring monthly expenses for running a STR business. It’s crucial to find the right balance between revenue and costs.
Airbnb Occupancy Rate Data
This metric considers the balance between supply and demand and gives more comprehensive information about a specific location than the number of listings. Airbnb occupancy rate data is one of the most telling indicators of a STR market’s health and profitability and can be presented in numbers or as a percentage.
Let’s look at the top 25 US cities with the highest Airbnb occupancy rate.
Ranking | City/State | 12-Month Average Occupancy |
---|---|---|
1 | Hanalei—HI | 69% |
2 | Koloa—HI | 69% |
3 | Kahuku—HI | 67% |
4 | Hana—HI | 66% |
5 | Kapolei—HI | 64% |
6 | Kihei—HI | 64% |
7 | Brookline—MA | 61% |
8 | Ridgedale—MO | 61% |
9 | Paia—HI | 61% |
10 | Kapaa—HI | 61% |
11 | Holualoa—HI | 60% |
12 | Lahaina—HI | 60% |
13 | Seward—AK | 60% |
14 | Madison—WI | 60% |
15 | Hauula—HI | 60% |
16 | Anna Maria—FL | 59% |
17 | Wailuku—HI | 59% |
18 | Honolulu—HI | 59% |
19 | West New York—NJ | 59% |
20 | Sanibel—FL | 58% |
21 | Springdale—UT | 58% |
22 | Hoboken—NJ | 58% |
23 | Bar Harbor—ME | 57% |
24 | Southwest Harbor—ME | 57% |
25 | Laie—HI | 57% |
Average Monthly Revenue
It’s one of the most important Airbnb statistics by city because it is used in the formula for calculating the cash flow and in all ROI formulas in real estate.
The cash flow shows the difference between rental revenue and expenses. It’s the money that is left after you cover all costs related to running an Airbnb business, and the higher the cash flow, the more profitable the property is. That’s why you should always look at the monthly revenue in a location when deciding whether to invest there.
Here are the top 25 US cities with the highest monthly Airbnb revenue.
Ranking | City/State | 12-Month Average Monthly Revenue ($) |
---|---|---|
1 | Nantucket—MA | 50 255 |
2 | Orleans—MA | 24 317 |
3 | East Sandwich—MA | 23 134 |
4 | East Hampton—NY | 23 121 |
5 | Snowmass Village—CO | 20 318 |
6 | Hanalei—HI | 20 293 |
7 | Beach Haven—NJ | 20 106 |
8 | Kapolei—HI | 20 101 |
9 | Mount Desert—ME | 19 727 |
10 | Aspen—CO | 18 471 |
11 | Point Pleasant Beach—NJ | 17 751 |
12 | Sag Harbor—NY | 17 449 |
13 | Southampton—NY | 17 422 |
14 | Wellfleet—MA | 17 020 |
15 | Montauk—NY | 16 951 |
16 | North Kingstown—RI | 16 886 |
17 | Southwest Harbor—ME | 16 701 |
18 | Harwich Port—MA | 16 600 |
19 | Big Sky—MT | 16 226 |
20 | Chatham—MA | 16 091 |
21 | Haleiwa—HI | 15 670 |
22 | Ogunquit—ME | 15 166 |
23 | Provincetown—MA | 15 114 |
24 | Falmouth—MA | 15 080 |
25 | Anna Maria—FL | 14 905 |
Final Thought
Investing in vacation rentals is an important decision, so it should be based on thorough market research and analysis. While operating a STR property is more profitable than traditional renting, you should realize that not all vacation rental markets and properties are equal.
The profitability of short-term rentals varies by location, so you need to use reliable and comprehensive Airbnb statistics by city to help you find the best markets to invest in.