Athens, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Athens, TX short-term rentals averaged $203/night at 42.8% occupancy in April 2026 across 22,225 active listings.
Quick Answer: Athens, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 53%. average monthly revenue is $3,860. average daily rate is $271. the top operator is Evolve with 774 listings. market score is 63/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Texas East Area regional market, which includes Athens. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Athens.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Athens, Texas is a small East Texas county seat in Henderson County, situated roughly 75 miles southeast of Dallas. The local economy centers on outdoor recreation including Lake Athens, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, and Athens Scuba Park, supplemented by event-driven tourism around festivals such as the Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree in July and the Old Fiddlers Reunion in May. The short-term rental market recorded a $203.35 average daily rate and 42.8% occupancy in April 2026, producing $86.95 in revenue per available rental day and $2,435 in average monthly revenue per listing.
The market carries 22,225 total listings, with entire-place accommodations representing 20,944 (94.2%), private rooms 1,269, and shared rooms 12. Bedroom distribution is led by 1-bedroom units at 7,144 listings, followed by 3-bedroom (5,660), 2-bedroom (5,376), 4-bedroom (2,451), and 5-bedroom (1,530). The channel mix shows near-parity between Airbnb-only (10,311) and dual-platform (9,670) listings, with 2,244 VRBO-only.
Year-over-year trends reflect a softening market: occupancy is up a modest 1.1 percentage points, but ADR is down 3.4% and revenue is essentially flat at -0.2%. Market scores are mixed: investability 89.0 and seasonality 75.1 are above average, but rental demand (58.5) and revenue growth (60.7) are more modest. Total score is 63.0.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33% | $161 | $1,617 |
| Feb | 41% | $161 | $1,627 |
| Mar | 50% | $211 | $2,695 |
| Apr | 41% | $206 | $2,332 |
| May | 44% | $231 | $2,694 |
| Jun | 53% | $271 | $3,778 |
| Jul | 53% | $275 | $4,009 |
| Aug | 42% | $236 | $2,765 |
| Sep | 39% | $215 | $2,247 |
| Oct | 42% | $205 | $2,398 |
| Nov | 41% | $201 | $2,222 |
| Dec | 37% | $190 | $2,096 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Athens
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 774 | 27,617 | ★ 4.71 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 238 | 8,722 | ★ 4.67 |
| 3 | FCR Partners, LP | 103 | 172 | ★ 4.68 |
| 4 | Neal’s Lodges | 97 | 170 | ★ 4.79 |
| 5 | 979 Vacation Property Services | 96 | 3,231 | ★ 4.62 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Athens?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 7,144 |
| 2 bed | 5,376 |
| 3 bed | 5,660 |
| 4 bed | 2,451 |
| 5 bed | 1,530 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $281 |
| Luxury | $538 |
| Professionally Managed | $442 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,174 |
| Entire Place | $4,002 |
| House | $4,276 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 46.4% |
| vrbo | 10.1% |
| both | 43.5% |
Investment Analysis
Athens carries an investability score of 89.0, reflecting manageable regulations and reasonable market access. The April 2026 average revenue of $2,435 per listing annualizes to approximately $29,219 per year, though the market is summer-weighted and peak July historical averages of $4,009 materially improve full-year returns for well-positioned properties.
Tier comparisons show the biggest premium opportunity in professional management and luxury positioning. Professionally managed listings average $314.67 per night versus the market-wide $203.35, a 54.8% premium. Luxury-tier listings average $442.86 per night. Entire-home listings average $210.91, modestly above the blended rate. These spreads indicate that property quality and management quality are rewarded in Athens at a higher multiple than many comparable small-market Texas STR areas.
Revenue by property type: houses averaged $2,608 per month, entire-place listings $2,513, and apartments $1,679. The house-to-apartment gap of $929 per month suggests that dedicated vacation homes substantially outperform converted apartments in this lake-and-recreation-driven market. No Zillow housing data was available for Athens in this dataset; investors should source current land and home values independently to compute potential yield. ADR declined 3.4% year-over-year as of April 2026, a trend worth monitoring in future data pulls.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Athens guests book an average of 38.7 days in advance, roughly five and a half weeks before arrival. This is a shorter lead time than many leisure markets, suggesting a more spontaneous booking profile likely tied to drive-market visitors from the Dallas-Fort Worth area who plan trips on shorter notice. Operators who rely on long advance-period pricing strategies may need to adapt: with a 39-day average lead time, rates set at 40-plus days will capture most bookings, and last-minute discounting within two weeks of arrival can fill remaining gaps.
Average length of stay is 3.81 nights, slightly above the short-stay threshold, consistent with a long-weekend lake and outdoor recreation market. At 3.81 nights, typical arrivals span Thursday through Sunday or Friday through Monday. This turnover pace is moderate, giving operators time to clean and restock between guests. Minimum-stay policies of 3-4 nights work well in this market and can reduce undesirable single-night gaps.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Athens, Texas has no identified short-term-rental-specific ordinance as of the data profile date. STRs are permitted (str_permitted=true) but no dedicated permit is required by the city (permit_required=false). No permit fee, owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence requirement, or maximum nights cap was identified.
Texas state law imposes a 6% Hotel Occupancy Tax on short-term rentals (stays under 30 days), which STR operators must register to collect and remit to the Texas Comptroller. The City of Athens separately levies a local Hotel Occupancy Tax; the local rate in the data profile is listed at 7%, which funds the city’s Tourism Development Grant program. Operators should confirm the current combined local rate directly with the City of Athens (City Secretary, 508 E. Tyler St.) before listing, as the local rate can differ from state guidance.
Zoning (Code of Ordinances Chapter 22) classifies most residential areas as low-density R-1 and governs land uses through use-regulation charts and home-occupation rules. No STR-specific zoning provision was located, but use allowances at the district level should be confirmed with the city’s Planning and Zoning department. Enforcement severity is assessed as minimal given the absence of a dedicated STR ordinance. Regulations can change, and direct confirmation with local authorities is always advisable before operating.
Market Comparison
Nationally, short-term rentals average approximately 55% occupancy and $220 ADR. Athens’s April 2026 occupancy of 42.8% is below the national median, consistent with a small rural recreation market that depends on seasonal and event-driven demand rather than year-round draw. Its $203 ADR is also slightly below the national average, reflecting the market’s regional drive-market pricing power versus coastal or urban markets.
Evolve leads the Athens area market with 774 managed listings and 27,617 reviews at a 4.71 average rating. Vacasa holds 238 listings at a 4.67 rating. FCR Partners holds 103 listings at a 4.68 rating, and Neal’s Lodges holds 97 listings at a 4.79 rating. The top four operators combined represent 1,212 listings, approximately 5.5% of total active supply, indicating a highly fragmented market dominated by independent owner-operators. This fragmentation means that individual properties can differentiate meaningfully on quality, responsiveness, and listing optimization without facing concentrated professional competition for most of the supply.
Frequently Asked Questions About Athens, Texas
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