How to Access Airbnb Occupancy Rate Data in 2024 (2024)

One of the most important profitability metrics a short term rental investor should monitor is the rental market’s Airbnb occupancy rate data. Investing in vacation rentals is a popular way of investing in real estate. When conducting market research, one of the vital pieces of information any property investor should look for is a neighborhood’s Airbnb occupancy rate data.

Table of Contents

1. What Is Airbnb Occupancy Rate?
2. What Is a Good Airbnb Occupancy Rate?
3. What Factors Affect Airbnb Occupancy Rates?
4. How to Improve Your Airbnb Occupancy Rate
5. How to Access Airbnb Occupancy Rate Data
6. Top 20 Cities With the Highest Average Airbnb Occupancy Rate

While Airbnb investment is profitable, you must realize that not all markets and properties are equal. They don’t offer the same things to investors. The rate of return on investment and rental income varies per location.

Many factors, such as location and property type, determine the profitability of your short term rental. One of the most important factors is the Airbnb occupancy rate. Merely listing your property on the Airbnb platform won’t generate profits for you.

As the host, you must look at ways to get bookings and maintain a good occupancy rate. It is best to look at the average Airbnb occupancy rate by city when checking out prospective investment properties. By now, you might be wondering how and where you can access Airbnb occupancy rate data.

In today’s article, we first seek to understand what occupancy rate is, how to calculate it, and how to access Airbnb occupancy rate data. We’ll also show you how to maintain a good occupancy rate and how Mashvisor can help you in your real estate investing journey.

What Is Airbnb Occupancy Rate?

Airbnb occupancy rate is the ratio of booked nights to the total number of nights the property is available for bookings. It is used to measure how often guests occupy your Airbnb income property for a given duration. In simpler terms, the Airbnb occupancy rate is the percentage of days/nights your short-term rental is booked by guests.

The Airbnb occupancy rate is a factor you should consider regardless of the rental strategy you choose to follow. Remember, real estate investment is all about maximizing profits and generating a positive cash flow. More than just getting back a return on investment, your goal as an investor is to come up with an additional steady income stream with your rental property.

As a short-term rental investor, you don’t want your property to stay vacant. Primarily, this is because your business is missing out on potential Airbnb income for every night it stays unoccupied.

Based on this information, one can assume that the Airbnb occupancy rate formula calculates the number of nights you can expect to rent your property out annually. However, this alone can’t give us the entire picture of the actual performance of the rental property. Only the Airbnb occupancy rate formula can help you understand what we mean.

Why Are Airbnb Occupancy Rates Important for Hosts?

Now that you know what the occupancy rates stand for, it is crucial to understand why this metric is so important not only for buying profitable Airbnb rental properties but also for evaluating the performance of your active Airbnb listings.

The reason is simple: The occupancy is one of the two factors that determine the monthly rental income that a host makes from their Airbnb listing. The other factor is the Airbnb daily rate.

The higher the number of days for which you manage to get your rental property listing occupied, the larger your monthly income.

And vise versa: The lower the number of days in which you have Airbnb guests, the smaller your rental income.

In other words, boosting the average occupancy rates of your listing is the most straightforward way for a host to increase the Airbnb revenue of a property.

The monthly income, in turn, is used to calculate the return on investment on your Airbnb listing, whether you use the Airbnb cash on cash return formula or the Airbnb cap rate formula. Ultimately, this means that the occupancy plays a major role in determining the rate of return which you can expect on your vacation rental.

As a host, you should put regular efforts into maximizing the occupancy rates of your Airbnb listings month after month. How to do that? We will focus on this aspect of the Airbnb property management process a bit later in this article.

How to Calculate Occupancy Rates Yourself

The traditional way of getting Airbnb occupancy rate data entails calculating the numbers on your own. As a disclaimer, calculating the occupancy rates of a single investment property for sale or even a few income properties for sale is not complicated.

Airbnb Occupancy Rate Formula

Here’s the Airbnb occupancy rate formula to help get a more accurate representation of the occupancy rate:

Airbnb Occupancy Rate = Number of Booked Nights / Number of Available Nights

Watch our video below to learn how to calculate occupancy rates for vacation rentals

However, once they get to finding the numbers that they need to input in the occupancy rates formula above, hosts realized that the process might not be as straightforward as it initially looked.

Where do you get the number of days for which the property that you consider buying has been actively listed for booking over the past month or year? And where do you get the number of days for which it was actually booked over the same period?

Even if the property is an active Airbnb listing at the moment, the occupancy data is not easily accessible for regular real estate investors and Airbnb hosts. Not to mention how complicated things can get if you want to calculate the average Airbnb occupancy rates for each month or the average Airbnb rates by city across the United States.

Conducting comprehensive Airbnb occupancy analysis turns out to be a complicated task which is nearly impossible for a beginner investor to overcome. At the same time, having all the right Airbnb data and analytics is crucial to make a profitable decision in today’s competitive market with hundreds of thousands of listings in the US alone.

What Is a Good Airbnb Occupancy Rate?

A good Airbnb occupancy rate is, in general, 65% or higher. While many people may think that a high Airbnb occupancy rate will always mean high profitability, it isn’t always the case. In fact, a high Airbnb occupancy rate isn’t always the best for real estate investors. It doesn’t mean more profits.

Airbnb occupancy rates and rental rates share an inverse relationship. A 100% occupancy rate may seem like a good thing but in reality, it is not. It is important to note that in some locations, you may see a high occupancy rate but may be compelled to set lower nightly rates. The opposite may also happen.

Also, if the occupancy rate is really high, it may mean that you’re leaving some money on the table. That said, if you are the type of Airbnb host who gives discounted rates on early-bird bookings, then you can miss out on full-rate payments from last-minute bookings. Plenty of travelers tend to decide at the last minute. And while they are looking for bargain deals, they are more than likely to pay a bit more than what they’re looking for to close the deal.

A hundred percent occupancy rate may also make you miss out on potential profit on special events as they can sometimes get you twice or thrice as much per night. Ideally, you should be fully booked two to three weeks out and at least 50% booked from four to eight weeks in advance.

Leave some days on your calendar to accommodate last-minute bookings. But do your best to also work on getting enough bookings that you don’t worry about filling in odd gaps at the last minute. You simply need to strike the right balance between the two.

Ideal vs Actual Numbers

As mentioned above, Airbnb and vacation rental properties, in general, should achieve an occupancy rate of at least 65%. There are a number of exceptional Airbnbs that hit 75%, but they are more a rarity than the norm. As of November 2022, the average Airbnb occupancy rate in the US is 48%.

So, what’s a good Airbnb occupancy rate? A good Airbnb occupancy rate is one that allows you to charge an average rental rate that generates the highest possible Airbnb rental income. Also, don’t forget that your ideal occupancy rate is determined by a number of factors, such as:

• The real estate housing market you’re in
• Season of the year
• The position of your listing in the overall rental market

What Factors Affect Airbnb Occupancy Rates?

We’ve mentioned that the Airbnb occupancy rate is mainly affected by location. As such, occupancy rates differ from location to location and from property to property. By looking at such factors, a real estate investor can determine what occupancy rate is best for their investment. Location isn’t the only factor that influences occupancy rates, though. Other factors to consider are:

Pricing Strategy

Speaking of pricing, your nightly rate determines how often your vacation rental is occupied. As such, a well-planned pricing strategy is important for any short term rental business. How do you come up with a well-planned pricing strategy?

Regardless of the rental strategy you choose to follow or the housing market you’re located in, research helps you set a good foundation for building a pricing strategy that will work for you. Always look at Airbnb comps data to understand what the typical market rates for your type of property are in your area.

However, sometimes, it won’t be the only data you should consider to set a competitive price. You might offer a few amenities or special features standing out that could justify you setting a higher-than-average nightly rate.You could also choose to go in the opposite direction and lower your nightly rate to attract more bookings. However, be careful with such an approach, since a lower-than-average nightly rate may raise guests’ suspicions.

Also, ensure your pricing strategy is dynamic and optimized. An optimized pricing strategy means one that adapts to various seasons. Never make the common mistake of setting one nightly rate to use all year long. During the peak season, when tourists are traveling and Airbnb demand is high, you can set a higher nightly rate.

Inversely, switch to a lower rate to attract more guests when the market is dormant. An optimized, dynamic, and transparent pricing strategy will not only help you generate Airbnb income throughout the year but also help improve your Airbnb rankings.

Marketing Strategy

Any prudent real estate investor knows that solely relying on the Airbnb platform to market your vacation rental isn’t wise. If you want to increase your occupancy rate in 2023, you need to go out of your way and implement other marketing strategies.

Remember, you want your listing to reach as many potential guests as possible. Your marketing strategy can be extremely helpful, especially during the dormant season. A majority of the world’s population today barely goes a day without logging onto a social media platform. You can capitalize on the free platforms and implement a digital marketing and social media strategy to reach out to users around the world. Here’s how you can do it:

• Open an Instagram account and upload high-quality pictures of your short term rental. You can also work with influencers to reach a wider audience. Working with an influencer might entail giving them a limited number of free stays on your rental property, but it might be worth the shot.
• Upload high-quality pictures and a comprehensive description on your Facebook page. Join Facebook groups and communities to share content.
• Post your property’s pictures on Twitter and use the relevant hashtags to reach more Twitter users.

When marketing your property on social media, don’t forget to include the link to the actual Airbnb listing. Your goal should be to lead people to the Airbnb platform for them to book. It is one great way to boost your occupancy rate.

Guests Experience

Property type

Different types of rental properties attract different types of guests and face different demand in different markets. For example, if you plan to cater to the needs of business travelers in Airbnb New York or Airbnb San Francisco, you should consider investing in an apartment or a condo.

If, on the other hand, you would like to host families on their vacation on the beach in Airbnb Miami or Airbnb Honolulu, a single-family home might be the better option for optimizing your average occupancy rate.

Accessibility

Regardless of the Airbnb market and the type of guests that you go for, your vacation rental will enjoy a higher occupancy if it is located close to public transportation and major roads. Both visitors who come with their own car and those who will rely on available transportation modes will appreciate this and be more likely to book your listing if it makes traveling easier.

How to Improve Your Airbnb Occupancy Rate

Now, as an existing or prospective vacation rental owner and host, you would want to get the best possible occupancy rates on your short term rental. The good thing is that it is something you can work on regardless of the time of year. Here are a few tips for improving your Airbnb occupancy rate:

1.Price Optimization

The price you set for your short-term rental is one of the most influential factors that determine your Airbnb occupancy rates. Up there with the location.

Many short-term rental owners use a “once and for all” approach where they set a certain per-night rate and forget about it. Some implement variations in their pricing strategy but do it the wrong way. This is one of the costliest mistakes you can make.

How do you optimize your rates? By adjusting according to season. For example, you can have high rates during the high season since the demand is high too. Once the market becomes a bit dormant, you should lower your rates to attract hesitant travelers or holiday-goers, and still beat your competition.

Optimizing your rates offers you various benefits since you increase your rental income. Other than that, your unit will appear at the top of Airbnb search results. This increases your visibility on the platform, which in turn boosts Airbnb occupancy rates.

Other than optimizing nightly rates, you need to ensure you price competitively. You can start by looking at what your competitors are charging so that you don’t end up charging way more or less. Remember your income should be able to cater for property expenses and still make you some profit.

Charging too high will make your prospective customers choose a more affordable competitor. On the other hand, a price that’s too low will raise eyebrows and make travelers hesitant to book your unit since they’ll doubt your authenticity.

Most importantly, ensure the price you settle on reflects on the value the tenants will receive.

If choosing a pricing strategy that works for you looks like too much work, don’t worry. Luckily, you can use a few pricing tools to help you automate the process.

2. Target to Get Good Reviews

Airbnb reviews are instrumental in the number of bookings you get from Airbnb. Many guests make the decision whether to book or not based on what they read in the review section. Always purpose to get positive reviews from guests.

How do you get them?

• Offer outstandingly good customer services. Customers love where they’re made to feel valued.
• Answer their queries promptly. Provide all details or any information requested before they book. Also, always stay reachable during their stay. Communication is vital.
• After the stay, make the first move by providing your guests with a positive review on the platform. Airbnb will prompt them to give you a review in return.

As you can see, customer service is instrumental in increasing your Airbnb occupancy rates. Go out of your way to ensure that your guests are always comfortable and enjoying their stay. This will ensure you get multiple 5-star reviews.

To get more reviews, you don’t always have to offer a review first. After a good stay where you’ve built a great rapport with the guests, you can mention that you wouldn’t mind a 5-star review.

If you struggle giving guests reviews, you can also automate this process by implementing various tools that give you review templates. Some of these tools allow you to publish the template as a review on the platform.

Automation helps you streamline various business aspects. This allows you to spend less time on those activities you struggle with and focus on more productive activities.

Keep in mind that a list of good reviews makes your listing stand out. It’s instrumental in helping you convince guests to book a stay in your unit.

3. Highlight Your Best Amenities

The kind of guest experience you offer will greatly influence your Airbnb occupancy rates. Guests value amenities that make their stay more enjoyable and memorable. You don’t want to provide basic amenities like everyone else. You want to stand out from your competitors and be above average. How do you do this?

First, you need to identify your target guests and understand their needs. Once you understand their needs you can improve your amenities to suit them.

For example, if you’re targeting the sophisticated traveler who probably works remotely, instead of just providing broadband internet, how about you get an extra fast fiber-optic connection? Instead of basically having a filter coffee option, how about you get an espresso machine?

Look at it from the guests’ perspective. Imagine you’re stuck between two short-term rentals. However, one has an espresso machine, high-speed internet, or any other amenity that makes it stand out, while the other is just basic. Which one would you go for?

This is how you provide more value for your visitors and make their stay memorable.

Once you decide on what extra amenities to provide, it’s now time to let the travelers know that you have what they’re looking for. You do this by updating your listing title and description to shine a spotlight on your best amenities. Don’t just expect people to find you. Go out, find them yourself, and explain to them what you have to offer and why they should book with you.

Don’t forget to take high-quality professional photos of the best amenities. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. High-quality photos go a long way in highlighting your amenities and attracting more potential guests.

4. Offer Discounts

Discounted rates are a great way to stand out from all the other rental properties in the area. People’s brains are somehow wired to immediately detect discounts, which will encourage them to check out properties that will make them save money.

There are several ways to do it. You can offer discounts for earlier bookings. It is one of the most common ways to get those bookings. It is because the nearer you get to the actual booking date, the more expensive the rates get. Organized travelers know well enough to scout for early-bird discounts to save them more money for their upcoming trips.

You may also offer discounts for multiple bookings. If a guest is looking to book several rooms or properties, you can give them lower rates for bulk bookings. You may also offer discounted rates for those who wish to avail of other services you may offer, such as the ones on Airbnb Experiences. Really, your ingenuity is the only limit.

5. Offer Benefits for Longer Stays

Some Airbnb hosts offer added benefits to guests who stay for longer periods, such as a slightly lower nightly rate. Others may offer a one-time cleaning service fee for stays beyond a month or so. Again, it will depend on your creativity and capability as a host.

6. Have a Target Market in Mind

One of the things that most successful Airbnb owners and hosts do is they know their target market and go after them. If you notice, several Airbnb properties are going for particular demographics. Some provide facilities and amenities suitable for families with young children. Others allow pets on-site, which is very attractive to traveling pet owners.

Some are located in areas that are suitable for outdoor activities. Such locations are popular among nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Others are located near colleges and universities, which attract student guests. Knowing your target market will help you spruce up your rental property and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.

7. Take Advantage of Social Media

Social media has changed our daily lives. A huge portion of the human population barely goes a day without logging into at least one social media platform. So, why wouldn’t you implement social media into your marketing strategy to boost your Airbnb occupancy rate?

You can use your social media account to market your short-term rentals. Alternatively, you can have accounts of various platforms specifically dedicated to marketing your Airbnb rentals.

Either way, you want to maintain brand consistency on platforms. For example, you can get a name for your business and use it as your brand name across all platforms.

Here are some social media practices to help you boost your occupancy rate Airbnb:

• Share useful information on your Facebook business page for potential guests to see what you have to offer.
• Open an Instagram account and work with influencers and bloggers to help you gain more exposure for your business.
• Post your rental’s high-quality images on Twitter and use hashtags related to travelers and short-term rentals.

When it comes to posting, the most basic content is photos of your rental. Start with the interior pictures then you can go to the porch and yard. Remember that the pictures should be high-quality and professional. You can use the same photos you’ve used on your Airbnb listing.

Also, stay consistent when it comes to posting content. Don’t be discouraged if your posts initially get fewer likes and shares. You have to start from somewhere then slowly build on that. With time, more people will see your posts on those platforms. Just the fact that you’re present on social media is validation enough.

Many people erroneously think that you can only use social media to market to potential guests. There are many social media groups, communities, and forums for vacation rental owners. Join these spaces and interact with other hosts and property managers. This will not only help you gain tips on how to improve your services and run your business but also gain some referrals.

8. Lower the Minimum Stay Between Bookings

Most Airbnb hosts set their minimum stays to a few days. If you’re one, you may find yourself with a few days’ vacancies in between bookings. One great way to ensure your rental doesn’t stay vacant during such days is by opening bookings for single nights.

This may be useful especially when starting out. Initially, you may not have a lot of 5-star reviews. However, you may increase your visibility on the platform by making your listing applicable to every search criteria.

You can manually open bookings for single nights by following these steps:

• Select your listing on Airbnb
• Click on Manage Listings
• At the top of the page, click Availability
• Locate Trip Length and click Edit next to it
• Enter both minimum and maximum stay requirements as you’d prefer (In this case enter 1 night for minimum stay)
• If you want to create custom rules for each day of the week, click Customize by day of the week
• Enter custom rules for specific seasons or dates.

While lowering your minimum stay to one night will definitely increase property management tasks, it’ll help you get more guests. More guests mean more reviews.

9. Offer Special Deals

You may find yourself having a guest who’s undecided between two different listings. Your best bet at getting the guest to book with you is by sending them a special offer. While you won’t make as much money as your target, it’s a great way to get a booking when there’s a chance of losing them to a competitor.

You can follow these steps to send your guests a special offer:

• Log in to Airbnb and go to Inbox
• Open the message to the client you’d like to send a special offer
• Click Send Special Offer
• Locate the SubTotal field on the left side of the page. Enter the price you want to offer the guest. Ensure you’ve included expenses such as cleaning and pet fees, or any other costs you’ve agreed upon.
• Click Send Special Offer

Another way to offer special deals is by giving previous guests discounts on their next visit. You can mention it to them when they’re checking out after their stay. This demonstrates goodwill and also lets your guests know what to expect next time they book with you. You’ll see a boost in your average occupancy rate for Airbnb if you do this regularly.

You can also offer free nights for guests with an extended stay. If there are spare nights before the next booking, you can offer them a chance to extend their trip by a night, instead of leaving the rental to stay vacant.

10. Use a Property Management Software.

While an additional person can help reduce your hosting duties, using a property management software can be a more cost-effective option for you. The software’s centralized dashboard will enable you to manage multiple listings on different rental platforms at the same time.

A property management software can help in a lot of ways, such as organizing Airbnb bookings and messages, tracking leases and tenants, and streamlining the overall operations. You can also perform accounting-related tasks, as well as accept maintenance requests and schedule required repairs.

Key Takeaways to Increasing Airbnb Occupancy Rate

If you want to be a savvy Airbnb rental owner, you ought to stop doing the bare minimum, such as just posting a few average pictures and a generic description for your listing.

In the current times, you should go out of your way to offer outstanding customer service to get multiple 5-star reviews and boost your Airbnb occupancy rate. Also, offer special deals for your customers by giving them discounts or extra free nights for long-term guests.

Automate some business processes and use Airbnb analytics to help you know your short term rental’s profitability.

How to Access Airbnb Occupancy Rate Data

If you want to find a profitable short term rental property to invest in, you must study the area’s short term rental data and figure out the occupancy rate. As you can already tell, compiling and analyzing all the rental data isn’t that easy. This is where the Mashvisor Airbnb occupancy rate calculator comes in. If you’re looking for an Airbnb occupancy calculator, Mashvisor is the quickest and fastest method on how to find Airbnb occupancy rates. Basically, you can find Airbnb occupancy rate data in the US real estate market on Mashvisor’s blog. In addition, you can get accurate Airbnb data for different neighborhoods and rental properties in the US by using our real estate investment tools, which utilize Airbnb analytics. For example, you can find the following data on the Mashvisor heatmap:

• Airbnb rental income
• Airbnb occupancy rate
• Listing price
• Airbnb cash on cash return

The heatmap uses colors to represent various values, ranges, or percentages. The color-coded visual makes it easier to find a neighborhood that strikes a good balance between your preferred metrics.

Mashvisor tools also include the best Airbnb calculator. Finding a short term property that will be profitable requires you to also carry out individual property analysis. This is where our Airbnb profit calculator comes in handy. Mashvisor’s Airbnb profit calculator allows you to calculate individual occupancy rates for each property that you’re interested in within a matter of minutes. It is a vital tool if you want to find a property with a good Airbnb return on investment.

How Do We Find Airbnb Occupancy Rate Data?

We don’t just get all our occupancy rate data on the Airbnb site and other short term rental platforms. We use a unique set of criteria that each property goes through before including them in our Airbnb occupancy rate calculations. They are:

• The listing must be active on the Airbnb platform. If it’s not, we check to see whether it has been for the past three months before we can include it.
• Shared or private room listings aren’t included in the Airbnb occupancy rate calculations, even though their data is collected.
• Each listing must have at least three reviews to qualify.

Airbnb listings in every neighborhood whose information is included in our database are filtered. It then allows us to calculate the Airbnb occupancy rate for every individual listing. It also lets us calculate the rental rate for every neighborhood.

Get started on your 7-day free trial with Mashvisor today on your way to a thriving real estate investing career.

Top 20 CitieswithHighest Airbnb Occupancy Rate for Vacation Rental Properties

As an investor, you may be wondering which locations offer the best Airbnb occupancy rates that will give you a good return on your investment. We went through Mashvisor’s most recent location report and came up with the following list for you. We filtered the list using the following criteria for optimum ROI:

• Each location must have a median property price of no more than $1,000,000
• Each location must have at least 100 active listings on the short term rental market
• Each location must have a minimum monthly rental income average of $2,000
• Each location must have no less than 2% cash on cash return
• Each location must have a 50% Airbnb occupancy rate or more

The locations below are ranked specifically from those with the highest Airbnb occupancy rate down to the lowest. Based on Mashvisor’s January 2023 short term rental data, here are the 20 cities with the best Airbnb occupancy rates that will give you the most optimum returns:

Average Airbnb Occupancy Rate by City:

1. San Pedro, CA

• Median Property Price: $953,242
• Average Price per Square Foot: $566
• Days on Market: 69
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 103
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,975
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.45%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.47%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $166
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 71%
• Walk Score: 91

2. Madison, WI

• Median Property Price: $486,984
• Average Price per Square Foot: $260
• Days on Market: 28
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 270
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,747
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 5.91%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 5.99%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $242
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 70%
• Walk Score: 45

Start searching for profitable Airbnb properties for sale in Madison, WI.

3. Bellingham, WA

• Median Property Price: $707,940
• Average Price per Square Foot: $426
• Days on Market: 86
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 172
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,860
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.62%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.65%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $153
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 70%
• Walk Score: 48

4. Waltham, MA

• Median Property Price: $624,508
• Average Price per Square Foot: $1,690
• Days on Market: 54
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 256
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,430
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 2.54%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 2.56%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $191
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 69%
• Walk Score: 91

5. Tigard, OR

• Median Property Price: $666,416
• Average Price per Square Foot: $302
• Days on Market: 80
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 155
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,589
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.06%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.09%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $180
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 67%
• Walk Score: 42

6. Union City, NJ

• Median Property Price: $666,727
• Average Price per Square Foot: $383
• Days on Market: 117
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 168
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,171
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.41%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.46%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $149
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 67%
• Walk Score: 97

7. Olympia, WA

• Median Property Price: $691,983
• Average Price per Square Foot: $395
• Days on Market: 54
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 133
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,174
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 2.44%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 2.47%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $121
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 67%
• Walk Score: 34

8. Somerville, MA

• Median Property Price: $872,566
• Average Price per Square Foot: $1,792
• Days on Market: 203
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 136
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,354
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 2.19%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 2.20%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $223
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 66%
• Walk Score: 82

9. Burlington, VT

• Median Property Price: $646,013
• Average Price per Square Foot: $3,289
• Days on Market: 104
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 276
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,601
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.45%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.48%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $219
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 66%
• Walk Score: 96

10. San Fernando, CA

• Median Property Price: $628,333
• Average Price per Square Foot: $583
• Days on Market: 80
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 101
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,219
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.16%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.19%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $170
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 65%
• Walk Score: 96

11. Corvallis, OR

• Median Property Price: $671,905
• Average Price per Square Foot: $341
• Days on Market: 87
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 104
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,305
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 2.98%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.01%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $151
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 64%
• Walk Score: 60

12. East Rutherford, NJ

• Median Property Price: $539,620
• Average Price per Square Foot: $3,263
• Days on Market: 59
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 318
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,614
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 2.77%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 2.80%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $151
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 64%
• Walk Score: 90

13. Salem, OR

• Median Property Price: $518,192
• Average Price per Square Foot: $272
• Days on Market: 88
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 160
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,126
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.57%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.62%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $148
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 64%
• Walk Score: 46

14. Santa Fe, NM

• Median Property Price: $785,235
• Average Price per Square Foot: $392
• Days on Market: 96
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 261
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,354
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.90%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.94%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $222
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 64%
• Walk Score: 5

15. Hawaiian Gardens, CA

• Median Property Price: $668,403
• Average Price per Square Foot: $536
• Days on Market: 55
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 206
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,375
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 4.80%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 4.84%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $197
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 64%
• Walk Score: 88

16. Peoria, IL

• Median Property Price: $221,645
• Average Price per Square Foot: $99
• Days on Market: 89
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 124
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $2,277
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 6.06%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 6.26%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $93
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 63%
• Walk Score: 55

17. Joplin, MO

• Median Property Price: $381,035
• Average Price per Square Foot: $142
• Days on Market: 50
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 105
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $2,297
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 5.66%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 5.80%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $103
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 63%
• Walk Score: 76

18. Saint Louis Park, MN

• Median Property Price: $352,657
• Average Price per Square Foot: $217
• Days on Market: 69
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 232
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $3,421
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 5.12%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 5.20%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $189
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 63%
• Walk Score: 43

19. Waianae, HI

• Median Property Price: $720,868
• Average Price per Square Foot: $490
• Days on Market: 93
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 127
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,787
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 5.81%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 5.87%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $220
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 63%
• Walk Score: 19

20. Rosemead, CA

• Median Property Price: $844,350
• Average Price per Square Foot: $614
• Days on Market: 94
• Number of Airbnb Listings: 101
• Monthly Airbnb Rental Income: $4,701
• Airbnb Cash on Cash Return: 3.29%
• Airbnb Cap Rate: 3.31%
• Airbnb Daily Rate: $182
• Airbnb Occupancy Rate: 62%
• Walk Score: 91

Go to Mashvisor now to start looking for and analyzing the most profitable short term rental properties in any location of your choice in the US.

Top 20 CitieswithLowest Airbnb Occupancy Rate for Vacation Rental Properties

Next, we’ll take a look at the 25 US major cities that fall on the low spectrum of Airbnb occupancies this year.

Table 2: 25 US Cities with the Lowest Airbnb Occupancy Rate

Source: Mashvisor, Summer 2023

Meanwhile, the United States markets with the lowest occupancy for Airbnb rentals exhibit levels of 36-54%. From the US cities with over 1,000 active Airbnb listings at the moment, the Atlanta real estate market offers the lowest average Airbnb occupancy rates of 35.6%.

Once again, these are just averages by city while it is absolutely possible to find Airbnb for sale with much higher rates in each of these locations. As always, careful Airbnb rental market analysis and rental property analysis are key for the success of a real estate deal.

One important fact to consider is that, generally speaking, many of the cities with the lowest Airbnb occupancy rates in 2023 are located in Florida. While Florida Airbnb used to outperform the US market by occupancy, daily rates, monthly income, and return on investment, the pandemic has largely changed this dynamic.

Airbnb Occupancy Rate: Conclusion

Airbnb occupancy rate is a good indicator of a short term rental’s profitability. It’s important to look for short term rental data, such as Airbnb occupancy data, to analyze before investing. We cannot emphasize enough how important due diligence is in real estate investing, especially if you’re starting a rental property business and listing on a platform like Airbnb. You need to do your homework and study the data thoroughly to come up with a highly accurate and realistic ROI calculation.

Ideally, the investment property you’re looking at should give you good cash on cash return, a positive cash flow, and a high enough Airbnb occupancy rate to keep your business going. However, you need also to realize that a high occupancy rate doesn’t always represent a high-income potential. An extremely high occupancy rate may mean that you’re leaving a lot of money at stake. Always look for property that will give you the right balance between occupancy rate and monthly rental income. Mashvisor’s tools allow you to conduct an in-depth analysis of the market, neighborhood, and the property you’re interested in. It’s the best way to check the occupancy rate on Airbnb. Even better, you can do all of the analysis in just a matter of minutes.

FAQs AboutAirbnb Occupancy Rate?

1. Should You Hire a Property Manager?

If you find it difficult to devote a significant amount of your time to Airbnb hosting duties, consider hiring a professional rental property manager. Though it is an additional cost to you, an Airbnb property managementcompany or professional will be in full charge of overseeing your property.

It will help you spend more time seeking ways to boost your occupancy rate or even go on a vacation yourself. Just make sure to hire a competent and dependable property manager to handle things when you are away.

2. What Is the Range of City Airbnb Occupancy Rate

One of the many great things that Mashvisor Airbnb profit calculator offers is an evidence-based, reliable estimate of the occupancy rate that you can expect for a particular property listing available for sale and for an entire neighborhood in a city.

Mashvisor short term rental data tells us that among the cities with highest average Airbnb occupancy rate on the platform, in 2022 the absolute highest Airbnb occupancy rate in a market with a minimum of 1,000 active listings is in Portland, OR, at 67.5%. Meanwhile, the absolute lowest Airbnb occupancy rate by city in an active Airbnb market is in Atlanta, GA, at 19.0%. No wonder with the geographical distance and all the differences between those two locations, right?!

But you should keep in mind that these are the extremes. The median Airbnb occupancy rate by city provided by Mashvisor real estate investor calculator is around 58.9%.

To get an even clearer picture of what average occupancy rates on Airbnb you should expect if you decide to go into this real estate rental strategy, let’s look at the Airbnb occupancy rate data for some of the most popular Airbnb destinations:

• Average occupancy rates by city in the New York real estate market: 62.9%
• Average occupancy rates by city in the Los Angeles real estate market: 61.6%
• Average occupancy rates by city in the Orlando real estate market: 55.0%
• Average occupancy rates by city in the Nashville real estate market: 53.2%
• Average occupancy rates by city in the Dallas real estate market: 52.7%
• Average occupancy rates by city in the Chicago real estate market: 50.9%
• Average occupancy rates by city in the Miami real estate market: 48.4%
• Average occupancy rates by city in the Houston real estate market: 43.8%

In conclusion, we can say that an occupancy of 50% or higher is considered good in the short term rental market. This means that your listing is booked for a minimum of half the days for which it is available for booking. If you’re able to achieve around 60% or more, you’re already beating the average occupancy rates in the United States.

3. What Vacation Rental Occupancy Rates by City Can You Expect in the United States Market?

While we had a quick look at the average Airbnb occupancy rate by city in some of the major US markets, savvy investors need more data to know what numbers to expect in their market of choice. After all, the skyrocketing property prices in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago do not fit the budget of every investor. Not to mention the tough Airbnb rules and regulations in most of these markets which make non-owner occupied short term rental properties very restricted or even impossible.

In the next two sections of this article, we will look at the average occupancy rates by city in a wide range of markets, which guarantee to meet the needs and expectations of both small, beginner hosts and large, experienced investors.

Learn more about how Mashvisor can help you find the best deals in the most profitable markets. Sign up for a 7-day free trial now, followed by 15% off for life.