Airbnb Vacancy Rate 2026: What’s Changed and How to Raise Occupancy
Summary
Airbnb occupancy rates have declined, with the national average falling to 50% in spring 2025. The article provides insights into factors influencing occupancy rates, offers a formula for calculating them, and highlights top-performing U.S. markets. Hosts should analyze their local market and implement strategies to boost occupancy rates by optimizing their listings, pricing, and amenities.
Key Insights
- •San Diego, CA requires a license for all short-term rentals. If you want to rent out your whole home as an investment property (Tier 3), you're competing for a capped number of licenses—only 1% of the city's total housing units.
- •Highest Average Airbnb Occupancy Rates in the US: Top 11 Picks
- •The national average occupancy rate for Airbnb fell from 57% in 2024 to 50% in spring 2025.
- •A good Airbnb occupancy rate is typically 50% or higher for most U.S. markets, with 55-75% considered strong performance.
- •Entire homes typically have higher occupancy during family vacation seasons, while private rooms and studio apartments appeal to budget travelers and couples and maintain steadier year-round bookings.
- •Properties near tourist attractions, business districts, or transportation hubs naturally attract more bookings than remote locations.
- •Lowering your rate from $150 to $105 per night during your slow season could improve occupancy and increase overall revenue despite the lower nightly rate.
Action Items
- ✓Keep tabs on your occupancy performance and track both your occupancy rate and vacancy rate.Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓Calculate your Airbnb occupancy rate using the formula: (Nights booked ÷ Nights available) × 100.Effort: lowImpact: medium
- ✓Research where your submarket stands today, then figure out how to outperform that benchmark.Effort: mediumImpact: high
Tools & Resources
- →Rabbu: For this list of best-performing US cities, we use data and analytics to understand occupancy trends and patterns. We analyzed short-term rental data in the US market and made our Top 11 list based on the average Airbnb occupancy rate. We used performance data from market research tools such as Mashvisor and Rabbu.
- →Mashvisor: For this list of best-performing US cities, we use data and analytics to understand occupancy trends and patterns. We analyzed short-term rental data in the US market and made our Top 11 list based on the average Airbnb occupancy rate. We used performance data from market research tools such as Mashvisor and Rabbu.
Watch Out For
- ⚠STR Regulations Some cities cap how many nights you can rent per year, others make you jump through hoops for permits, and some neighborhoods ban STRs altogether. Stay on the right side of the law to avoid hefty fines, and also to determine how many nights you're allowed to rent.
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