Austin Airbnb Market Data
& Investment Analysis

Austin is the Texas state capital, a major US tech hub, and the live-music and festival capital of the state. Its short-term rental market holds 13,231 active entire-home listings across 46 neighborhoods that Surge tracks. Over the twelve months ending September 2026, the average listing earned $45,526 in gross revenue at a $234 average nightly rate and 58% occupancy, for revenue per available night of $137. Revenue per listing is up 1.5% year over year.

Austin suits investors who want a nationally recognized destination market with a now-predictable licensing regime. The trade-offs are the highest purchase prices in Texas, the 17% combined tax burden, and heavy dependence on the festival calendar for peak revenue.

March is the peak month because SXSW, spring break, and the start of wedding season land together; January, after the holidays and before the festival calendar restarts, is the slowest. The average Austin listing earned $4,598 in March against $2,642 in January, a 1.7x swing between the best and worst month. Properties near the UT campus, the Capitol, and the Domain hold the steadiest midweek occupancy from university, government, and tech travel, while Hill Country and lake homes are far more seasonal but earn the most per booking.

The metro splits into three bands: the urban core east and south of downtown, where rates are high and homes are small; the northern suburbs (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown) with corporate midweek demand and lower prices; and the western Hill Country and lake submarkets, where large homes earn the highest revenue in the metro on far fewer nights.

By gross revenue the strongest neighborhoods are Westlake Hills, Steiner Ranch, and MLK & 183, averaging $95,170, $75,336, and $57,604 a year. Nightly rates span $124 in Paige to $736 in Westlake Hills. On the Surge Score, which also weighs demand consistency and regulatory risk, Brentwood, Windsor Park, and MLK & 183 rank highest. For value, Brentwood, Windsor Park, and Pflugerville pair below-median nightly rates with above-median occupancy. The full ranking is on the Austin neighborhoods page.

Austin overhauled its STR rules in 2025: STRs are now a legal accessory use in every residential zone with a two-year operating license (about $836 on first application), platforms must delist unlicensed listings from July 1, 2026, and Hotel Occupancy Tax is 11% city plus 6% state. Per-site limits cap single-family sites at two STR units and require 1,000 feet between an operator's additional STRs. Read the full Austin STR regulations, including every suburb's rules and the tax filing requirements.

Revenue scales with size. A one-bedroom in Austin averages $26,019 a year at $124 a night, while a four-bedroom averages $63,622 at $367. Larger homes earn more per booking but usually run lower occupancy, so compare revenue per available night, not just nightly rate, when you choose a floor plan. Among tracked amenities, listings with a hot tub earned about 97% more than the Austin baseline; the Insights tab ranks every amenity by revenue, rate, and occupancy lift.

Model a specific purchase with the Austin investment analysis and calculator. Data on this page comes from Surge market data on entire-home listings and was last refreshed 2026-10-18.