Airbnb Occupancy Rate: What to Expect For Your Property

The Airbnb occupancy rate is the single most important metric short-term rental investors use to evaluate markets and properties. Together with average daily rate (ADR), it determines monthly rental income and ROI. A great property in a low-occupancy market can still underperform; a modest property in a high-demand market can generate exceptional returns.

This guide covers everything hosts and investors need to know about Airbnb occupancy rates in 2026: how to calculate it, what a good number looks like, which markets lead the country, and 12 proven strategies to push yours higher.

What Is an Airbnb Occupancy Rate?

An Airbnb occupancy rate is the percentage of available nights that a short-term rental property is actually booked. It is one of the most commonly used metrics to evaluate STR performance and can be measured at both the property level and the market level.

At the property level, it shows how often your specific rental is booked versus the nights you've made it available. At the market level, it reflects the average booking frequency across all active listings in a city, zip code, or neighborhood — which is what investors use when evaluating a market before purchasing.

Why Airbnb Occupancy Rates Matter

Occupancy rate directly multiplies with your nightly rate to produce your monthly revenue. A drop in occupancy hits income proportionally and immediately.

For example, if a property's average nightly rate is $230:

• At 20 booked nights: $4,600/month
• At 10 booked nights: $2,300/month

That's why when buying a rental property, choosing a market with strong occupancy fundamentals is at least as important as the property itself. Use the Awning Airbnb Estimator to model income projections before purchasing. For full investment analysis, our STR ROI estimator factors in occupancy alongside all operating costs.

How to Calculate Airbnb Occupancy Rate

Formula: Airbnb Occupancy Rate = (Booked Nights ÷ Available Nights) × 100

Example: A host makes their property available 300 nights in a year. Guests book it for 240 of those nights.

Occupancy Rate = 240 ÷ 300 × 100 = 80%

Common mistake: dividing booked nights by total calendar nights (365) instead of nights made available. This artificially lowers the calculated rate and understates your property's performance. Always use nights available as the denominator.

How to Find Your Airbnb Occupancy Rate

Airbnb does not publish market-level occupancy data, but it does provide property-level data through its professional tools. To access it:

1. Go to Account Settings → enable Professional Hosting Tools (free)
2. Open your listing's Insights tab
3. Select Occupancy and rates to see your trailing 12-month history

Airbnb also shows how your occupancy compares to similar properties in your area — useful for benchmarking your performance against local competition.

For market-level occupancy data (essential for investors), use the Awning Airbnb Market Data tool. Enter any U.S. city or zip code and instantly see average occupancy, ADR, monthly revenue, active listing count, and STR ROI.

What Is a Good Airbnb Occupancy Rate in 2026?

A good Airbnb occupancy rate is 65% or higher. The nationwide average in 2026 sits between 55% and 57%, according to AirDNA and Mashvisor. Achieving above-average occupancy requires active management, competitive pricing, and listing optimization.

Always compare your occupancy to your local market average, not the national average. A 70% occupancy rate in a market averaging 80% means you're leaving money on the table. In a market averaging 55%, 70% is a strong result.

10 Cities with the Highest and Lowest Airbnb Occupancy Rates (2026)

We've analyzed active listing data across U.S. markets with 100+ active Airbnbs to identify the best and worst markets for occupancy. Before investing in any of these locations, review the relevant short-term rental regulations — local rules significantly impact effective occupancy.

Top Markets for Airbnb Occupancy (2026)

• Lihue, HI: 92%+ (Hawaii markets consistently lead the country, though Hawaii STR regulations are restrictive)
• Kihei, HI: 90%+
• Bar Harbor, ME: 88%+
• Mount Desert, ME: 87%+
• Los Angeles, CA: 62% (4,350+ active listings)
• Miami, FL: 62% (7,100+ active listings)
• San Diego, CA: 57% (5,850+ active listings)

For non-Hawaii options with strong occupancy, Maine coastal markets and select California markets offer the best performance. Check California STR management options and Florida STR management options for market-specific guidance.

Markets to Approach with Caution (2026)

• Big Bear City/Lake, CA: 28–35% (heavily seasonal ski market)
• Kiawah Island, SC: ~31%
• Sugar Mountain, NC: ~35%
• Joseph, OR: ~35%

Low-occupancy markets are often seasonal. In some cases, excellent peak-season rates can compensate for off-season vacancy — but this requires careful financial modeling. Use the STR estimator to stress-test seasonal markets before buying.

12 Strategies to Increase Your Airbnb Occupancy Rate

Occupancy rate is not fixed — it responds directly to how well you manage, price, and market your property. Here are the 12 most impactful levers:

1. Buy in a high-occupancy market. Location selection is the single biggest driver. Use the Awning Market Data tool to compare markets before buying.
2. Apply dynamic pricing. Properties priced to reflect real-time local demand consistently outbook static-price listings. Tools like AirDNA Smart Rates and Airbnb Smart Pricing automate this.
3. Optimize your listing. Professional photography, detailed descriptions, and complete amenity listings directly affect how often your listing appears in search results and how many lookers convert to bookers.
4. Enable Instant Book. Instant Book removes the approval barrier and boosts ranking in Airbnb's algorithm.
5. Earn Airbnb Superhost status. Airbnb Superhosts receive preferential placement in search results and earn guest trust faster. Superhosts earn 64% more revenue on average.
6. Furnish to exceed expectations. Properties rated 5 stars consistently are re-booked and referred. See our guide on best sheets for Airbnb for how small amenity upgrades drive outsized review impact.
7. Automate guest communication. Fast responses and pre-arrival messaging directly improve guest satisfaction and star ratings.
8. Actively solicit reviews. A follow-up message 1–2 days after check-out increases review submission rates significantly. More reviews = higher visibility.
9. List on multiple platforms. Airbnb alone limits your exposure. Cross-listing on VRBO, Booking.com, and direct booking channels can add 20–40% to annual bookings for many properties.
10. Maintain excellent condition. Deferred maintenance leads to guest complaints, lower ratings, and cancellations — all of which suppress occupancy.
11. Offer competitive minimum stays. 1-night minimums fill gaps that longer minimums leave vacant. Experiment with minimum stay rules by season.
12. Hire an Airbnb property manager. A professional Airbnb management company like Awning applies all 11 of the above strategies systematically across your portfolio. Awning manages 20,000+ properties across all 50 states and handles pricing, guest communication, cleaning coordination, and listing optimization.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in 2026?

The national average Airbnb occupancy rate in 2026 is approximately 55–57%, according to AirDNA and Mashvisor data. Top-performing markets like Miami and Los Angeles average around 62%, while Hawaii markets regularly exceed 90%. Markets with seasonal demand patterns (ski towns, summer-only beach destinations) often fall below 40%.

How is Airbnb occupancy rate calculated?

Airbnb occupancy rate is calculated by dividing the number of booked nights by the number of nights made available for booking, then multiplying by 100. The key is using nights available — not total calendar nights — as the denominator. A property available 300 nights and booked 200 nights has an occupancy rate of 66.7% (not 54.8%).

What Airbnb occupancy rate is considered good?

A good Airbnb occupancy rate is 65% or higher. The national average is 55–57%, so 65%+ represents above-average performance. However, "good" is always relative to your local market average — 65% in a market averaging 80% underperforms, while 65% in a market averaging 45% is exceptional.

Can you see your Airbnb occupancy rate on the platform?

Yes. Enable Professional Hosting Tools in your Airbnb account settings (free), then navigate to your listing's Insights tab and select "Occupancy and rates." You'll see a 12-month history and a comparison to similar properties in your area. For market-level occupancy data, use the Awning Airbnb Market Data tool.

What is the highest Airbnb occupancy rate in the US?

Hawaii consistently holds the top occupancy rates in the U.S., with markets like Lihue, Kihei, and Kauai regularly exceeding 90% occupancy. Outside Hawaii, Maine coastal markets (Bar Harbor, Mount Desert) and parts of coastal California achieve 85–90%+ during peak seasons. However, Hawaii's strict short-term rental regulations have significantly limited new listings in many of these markets.

Related Resources

• Airbnb Market Data Tool — Free Research by City
• Airbnb Revenue Estimator
• How to Become an Airbnb Superhost
• How to Price Your Airbnb
• Best Places to Buy a Vacation Rental Property

By Sara Levy-Lambert | Awning Editorial Team | Powered by RedAwning
Originally published: April 19, 2023 | Updated: April 1, 2026
Sara Levy-Lambert is VP of Marketing at RedAwning, which manages 20,000+ vacation rental properties across all 50 U.S. states.