PulseReal Research · Updated June 9, 2026

The Best U.S. States for Short-Term Rental Investment (2026)

We ranked all 51 U.S. states by Airbnb/VRBO income, demand, and growth using live market data — so you can see where short-term rentals actually perform before you buy.
States ranked
51
Income weight
40.0%
Growth weight
15.0%

Key findings

  • Hawaii ranks #1 for short-term rental investment in 2026, with an average annual profit of $21,618 per listing and 55% average occupancy.
  • Rhode Island commands the highest average daily rate at $392, signaling premium pricing power.
  • Florida leads on occupancy (57%), the clearest signal of consistent year-round demand.
  • Florida shows the strongest momentum with a 20.37% growth rate.
  • Across all 51 states analyzed, the typical short-term rental nets roughly $11,007 in annual profit — use it as a benchmark when screening markets.

How we ranked

Composite score = 40% income (average annual profit) + 25% demand realization (average occupancy) + 20% market demand score + 15% growth rate. Each metric is winsorized at the 5th/95th percentile before normalization so outliers cannot distort the ranking. All metrics sourced live from the PulseReal public API.

Full state ranking

Download CSV
#StateCompositeAvg ADROccupancyAnnual profitDemandGrowthGrade
1Hawaii100.0$26955.0%$21,6186516.7%B+
2Florida100.0$21957.0%$26,8906920.4%B+
3Alaska90.1$19142.0%$20,2995814.1%B
4Arizona89.7$20445.0%$17,5085915.0%B
5Nebraska85.6$14547.0%$18,3035214.6%B
6North Dakota84.6$13047.0%$17,9994917.0%C+
7Utah79.6$23442.0%$15,0245615.0%B
8South Carolina62.1$18038.0%$13,0355012.9%B
9Mississippi61.4$17135.0%$13,1604815.0%C+
10Nevada60.7$30642.0%$8,8275213.3%B
11Colorado59.9$24534.0%$14,7805210.7%B
12Texas58.3$19634.0%$11,5135014.4%C+
13New Mexico57.8$16737.0%$12,6274713.1%C+
14Vermont57.4$24025.0%$19,085519.9%B
15Alabama54.4$19234.0%$11,9235011.8%C+
16Delaware52.9$20821.0%$19,654509.4%B
17Missouri49.9$18929.0%$13,7924811.0%C+
18Montana49.1$20428.0%$13,2654911.1%C+
19Oklahoma48.6$19728.0%$12,2594812.5%C+
20Maine48.3$23918.0%$19,351498.3%C+
21District of Columbia48.2$1891.0%$30,554472.3%C+
22Illinois48.2$16835.0%$10,0014512.8%C+
23Kentucky47.3$15632.0%$12,8274411.3%C+
24Wisconsin44.9$22720.0%$16,987489.5%C+
25Louisiana44.5$15835.0%$10,1174411.1%C+
26Connecticut44.3$24230.0%$8,3014713.8%C+
27Kansas44.1$15535.0%$8,3824213.9%C+
28California43.9$23839.0%$2,2004715.4%C+
29New Hampshire43.5$21228.0%$10,3594712.2%C+
30Maryland42.7$17136.0%$6,0374413.9%C+
31Ohio41.9$17731.0%$8,8664413.1%C+
32South Dakota41.4$18932.0%$9,572479.8%C+
33Iowa40.5$16331.0%$8,8234213.5%C+
34Georgia40.0$16229.0%$10,0314213.0%C+
35Minnesota37.9$25725.0%$12,577487.6%C+
36Michigan35.8$20322.0%$13,476476.8%C+
37Virginia35.5$17731.0%$6,2344312.9%C+
38Oregon35.3$18232.0%$6,8804410.9%C+
39Indiana35.1$19130.0%$7,5504510.6%C+
40Tennessee34.7$17029.0%$9,3694310.1%C+
41Wyoming34.5$24734.0%$2,9074513.2%C+
42North Carolina32.6$16931.0%$6,3004211.7%C+
43Pennsylvania30.3$17528.0%$7,3094210.9%C+
44Washington30.0$19134.0%$5244314.3%C+
45Arkansas22.0$16126.0%$7,573398.8%C
46West Virginia18.0$15025.0%$7,020377.6%C
47Idaho17.3$17428.0%$2,0943910.9%C
48New Jersey14.0$29927.0%$-3,1783911.8%C
49New York10.6$30723.0%$1,867409.4%C+
50Massachusetts10.1$27627.0%$-535409.1%C+
51Rhode Island2.4$39220.0%$-559389.0%C
Source: PulseReal short-term rental analytics (live Airbnb/VRBO market data). Average daily rate, occupancy, annual profit, demand score, and growth rate are pulled from PulseReal’s public short-term rental data. Click any state for its full market report.

Cite or embed this study

Using this data? Please credit PulseReal with a link. Copy a citation, the link, or paste the embed code to show the ranking on your site.

Citation
PulseReal. (2026). The Best U.S. States for Short-Term Rental Investment. Retrieved from https://pulsereal.com/research/best-states-short-term-rental
Link
https://pulsereal.com/research/best-states-short-term-rental
Embed code (HTML)
<div style="font-family:-apple-system,Segoe UI,Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;max-width:680px;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:12px;padding:16px;color:#1e293b"><div style="font-weight:700;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:10px">The Best U.S. States for Short-Term Rental Investment (2026)</div><table style="width:100%;border-collapse:collapse"><thead><tr><th style="text-align:left;padding:8px 10px;font-size:12px;color:#475569;border-bottom:2px solid #e2e8f0;white-space:nowrap">#</th><th style="text-align:left;padding:8px 10px;font-size:12px;color:#475569;border-bottom:2px solid #e2e8f0;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">State</th><th style="text-align:left;padding:8px 10px;font-size:12px;color:#475569;border-bottom:2px solid #e2e8f0;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Composite</th><th style="text-align:left;padding:8px 10px;font-size:12px;color:#475569;border-bottom:2px solid #e2e8f0;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">ADR</th><th style="text-align:left;padding:8px 10px;font-size:12px;color:#475569;border-bottom:2px solid #e2e8f0;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Occupancy</th><th style="text-align:left;padding:8px 10px;font-size:12px;color:#475569;border-bottom:2px solid #e2e8f0;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Annual profit</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">1</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Hawaii</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">100.0</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$269</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">55.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$21,618</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">2</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Florida</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">100.0</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$219</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">57.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$26,890</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">3</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Alaska</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">90.1</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$191</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">42.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$20,299</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">4</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Arizona</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">89.7</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$204</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">45.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$17,508</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">5</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Nebraska</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">85.6</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$145</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">47.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$18,303</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">6</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">North Dakota</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">84.6</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$130</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">47.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$17,999</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">7</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Utah</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">79.6</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$234</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">42.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$15,024</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">8</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">South Carolina</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">62.1</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$180</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">38.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$13,035</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">9</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Mississippi</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">61.4</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$171</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">35.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$13,160</td></tr><tr><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap">10</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">Nevada</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">60.7</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$306</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">42.0%</td><td style="padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;border-bottom:1px solid #eef2f7;white-space:nowrap;text-align:right">$8,827</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-size:12px;color:#64748b;margin-top:10px">Source: <a href="https://pulsereal.com/research/best-states-short-term-rental" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="color:#1e40af;font-weight:600">PulseReal — The Best U.S. States for Short-Term Rental Investment</a></div></div>

Find the best cities and properties within these states

Use the PulseReal Ranker to drill from a top state into its highest-performing cities and ZIPs, then model a specific property with the Evaluator.

Open the RankerEvaluate a property

Frequently asked questions

Based on PulseReal's 2026 analysis of 51 states, the top markets for Airbnb/VRBO investment are Hawaii, Florida, Alaska. The full ranking — with average daily rate, occupancy, annual profit, demand, and growth for each state — is on this page.

Composite score = 40% income (average annual profit) + 25% demand realization (average occupancy) + 20% market demand score + 15% growth rate. Each metric is winsorized at the 5th/95th percentile before normalization so outliers cannot distort the ranking. All metrics sourced live from the PulseReal public API.

Occupancy reflects how consistently listings are booked across the year. The ranking table shows the average occupancy for every state; sort or scan the Occupancy column to compare demand strength.

Yes. A CSV of the full state ranking, including every metric used in the composite score, is available from the "Download CSV" button on this page.

Metrics are pulled live from PulseReal's short-term rental dataset. This edition was last updated on June 9, 2026.

Trusted data sources

PulseReal builds on these public, authoritative datasets and industry references.

National Association of REALTORS® research

Existing-home sales, pending sales, and housing affordability indices.

AirDNA market reports

Short-term rental supply, ADR, and occupancy benchmarks.

Realtor.com Research

Listing inventory, median list price, and time-on-market data.

US Census Bureau

Population, household, housing, and commuter data by city and ZIP.

FRED Housing Series

Federal Reserve Economic Data: mortgage rates, housing starts, price indexes.