Texas and Florida Airbnb Market Data

How the Texas Airbnb markets differ

Texas has no statewide short-term rental permit and no statewide ban, so the investment picture is set city by city. The 6 markets below range from Houston at $34,281 of average annual revenue per listing to Galveston at $45,457, and from licensed / regulated rules in Houston to a residential zoning ban in Fort Worth and a ban tied up in litigation in Dallas. Fort Worth currently holds the highest Surge Score at 83/100.

Houston is the energy capital of the world and home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex on the planet. The average listing earns $34,281 a year at $184 a night and 56% occupancy; March is the peak month. Houston has no zoning and no cap on short-term rentals. See Houston neighborhoods and Houston STR regulations.

Austin is the Texas state capital, a major US tech hub, and the live-music and festival capital of the state. The average listing earns $44,942 a year at $232 a night and 58% occupancy; March is the peak month. 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. See Austin neighborhoods and Austin STR regulations.

Dallas is the corporate and events capital of North Texas, with two dozen Fortune 500 headquarters and the State Fair of Texas. The average listing earns $39,983 a year at $201 a night and 60% occupancy; June is the peak month. Dallas passed a single-family zoning ban on STRs in 2023, but a court injunction has blocked enforcement since December 2023 and STRs continue operating citywide while the Texas Supreme Court case is pending. See Dallas neighborhoods and Dallas STR regulations.

San Antonio is the Alamo, the River Walk, Fiesta, and the largest military presence of any Texas metro. The average listing earns $36,942 a year at $196 a night and 55% occupancy; July is the peak month. San Antonio permits STRs citywide under a two-type permit system: Type 1 for owner-occupied ($300) and Type 2 for non-owner-occupied ($450), each valid three years, with Type 2 units in residential districts capped at 12.5% of a blockface. See San Antonio neighborhoods and San Antonio STR regulations.

Galveston is Texas's beach destination, the state's busiest cruise port, and the densest short-term rental market in Texas. The average listing earns $45,457 a year at $297 a night and 43% occupancy; July is the peak month. Galveston requires every STR unit to hold a $250 annual, non-transferable license through the Rentalscape portal, with the GVR registration number shown on every advertisement and a local contact who can respond within an hour. See Galveston neighborhoods and Galveston STR regulations.

Fort Worth is the Stockyards, Dickies Arena, and a fast-growing north Texas metro with strict residential STR zoning. The average listing earns $38,665 a year at $203 a night and 57% occupancy; June is the peak month. Fort Worth prohibits STRs in nearly all residential districts and actively enforces, so investable inventory is concentrated in commercial and mixed-use zones and in surrounding suburbs with their own rules. See Fort Worth neighborhoods and Fort Worth STR regulations.

How the Florida Airbnb markets differ

Florida licenses every vacation rental at the state level through the DBPR and, since 2011, has blocked cities and counties from banning them or capping how often they rent, so the local picture comes down to registration programs, grandfathered zoning, and county tax rates. The 4 markets below range from Orlando at $50,590 of average annual revenue per listing to Naples at $56,499. Orlando currently holds the highest Surge Score at 79/100.

Orlando is the theme-park capital of the world, anchored by Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and the Orange County Convention Center, with the whole-home vacation rental market concentrated in the Kissimmee and ChampionsGate resort corridor of Osceola County. The average listing earns $50,590 a year at $252 a night and 61% occupancy; March is the peak month. City of Orlando prohibits whole-home short-term rentals in residential zoning and only allows owner-occupied home sharing with a $275 first-year registration. See Orlando neighborhoods and Orlando STR regulations.

Panama City Beach is the Emerald Coast's largest beach rental market, 27 miles of white sand on the Gulf of Mexico with a drive-to guest base from Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham, and the rest of the Southeast. The average listing earns $54,449 a year at $285 a night and 55% occupancy; July is the peak month. Panama City Beach allows short-term rentals citywide and regulates them through a Vacation Rental Certificate under Ordinance 1632 ($250 registration, $150 annual re-registration with inspection) backed by a Florida DBPR license, a Bay County Tourist Development Tax registration, and a PCB Business Tax Receipt. See Panama City Beach neighborhoods and Panama City Beach STR regulations.

Fort Lauderdale is the yachting capital of the world and Broward County's beach and cruise hub, with seven miles of beach, Port Everglades, and a canal network that earns it the Venice of America nickname. The average listing earns $53,452 a year at $262 a night and 62% occupancy; March is the peak month. Fort Lauderdale allows short-term rentals citywide but requires a city Vacation Rental Certificate of Compliance ($880 initial application with inspection, $650 or $200 annual renewal), a city Business Tax Receipt, and a Florida DBPR license. See Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods and Fort Lauderdale STR regulations.

Naples is Southwest Florida's luxury Gulf coast market, known for Fifth Avenue South, white-sand beaches, championship golf, and the wealthiest seasonal residents in the state. The average listing earns $56,499 a year at $316 a night and 56% occupancy; March is the peak month. The City of Naples enforces a grandfathered 30-day minimum rental period in residential zoning (with three shorter rentals allowed per year), so nightly vacation rentals inside city limits are limited to specific districts. See Naples neighborhoods and Naples STR regulations.