Bay City, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
East Texas STRs averaged $203/night at 42.8% occupancy in April 2026 across 22,225 active listings.
Quick Answer: Bay City, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 43%. average monthly revenue is $2,435. average daily rate is $203. the top operator is Evolve with 774 listings. market score is 63/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The East Texas short-term rental market, anchored by the Tyler-Longview metro and its surrounding lake districts, tracked approximately 22,225 listings as of the latest snapshot. In April 2026, the market posted a $203 average daily rate and 42.8% occupancy, generating $86.95 in revenue per available room. Average monthly revenue per listing was $2,435 in April 2026.
The 2025 annual average shows steadier performance: 44.6% occupancy, $210 ADR, and $2,652 average monthly revenue. Year-over-year comparisons through April 2026 are nearly flat: occupancy rose 1.1%, ADR declined 3.4%, and monthly revenue dipped 0.2% versus April 2025. This reflects a market in steady state after moderate post-pandemic normalization from the 2021 peak (49.8% occupancy, $219 ADR, $3,006/month).
The listing mix is heavily weighted toward entire-place rentals at 20,944 units (94.2% of tracked listings). Private rooms account for 1,269 listings and shared rooms number 12. By bedroom count: 1-bedroom (7,144), 3-bedroom (5,660), 2-bedroom (5,376), 4-bedroom (2,451), and 5-bedroom (1,530). Cross-listed properties are common: 9,670 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 10,311 list on Airbnb only, and 2,244 on VRBO only. The overall market score is 63.0 out of 100, with a standout investability score of 89.0 and a seasonality score of 75.1.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33% | $161 | $1,617 |
| Feb | 41% | $161 | $1,627 |
| Mar | 50% | $211 | $2,695 |
| Apr | 41% | $206 | $2,331 |
| May | 44% | $231 | $2,675 |
| Jun | 53% | $271 | $3,768 |
| Jul | 53% | $275 | $4,009 |
| Aug | 42% | $236 | $2,766 |
| 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 Bay City
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 Bay City?
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 | $211 |
| Luxury | $443 |
| Professionally Managed | $315 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,679 |
| Entire Place | $2,513 |
| House | $2,608 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 46.4% |
| vrbo | 10.1% |
| both | 43.5% |
Investment Analysis
East Texas offers one of the lower entry points among active STR markets. The typical home value is $199,633 with a median list price of $283,333 as of April 2026. With 204 active for-sale listings in the area, inventory is moderate.
At an average monthly revenue of $2,435 in April 2026 and an annualized figure near $29,219, gross yield works out to approximately 14.6% on the typical home value — above average for most STR markets and reflecting the low acquisition cost relative to revenue potential. Using the 2025 full-year average of $2,652/month, annualized revenue reaches $31,824, implying a gross yield of approximately 15.9% on typical home value. Net returns depend on operating costs, financing, and the specific submarket (Tyler city versus lakefront versus rural).
Tier performance in April 2026 shows meaningful differentiation: the all-listings ADR is $203, entire-home listings average $211, professionally managed listings average $315, and the luxury tier reaches $443. Revenue by listing type: houses average $2,608/month, entire-place listings $2,513/month, and apartments $1,679/month. The professional management premium of $112/night (55% above market average) is unusually large, suggesting the professional management tier captures a premium lakefront and resort segment that pulls far above the broad market.
The investability score of 89.0 is among the highest market-score signals in the dataset. The revenue growth score of 60.7 is moderate, consistent with a stable but not rapidly expanding market.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
In April 2026, East Texas STR guests booked an average of 38.7 days in advance and stayed an average of 3.8 nights. The 39-day lead time reflects deliberate trip planning — lake recreation and fishing tournament trips are typically scheduled weeks ahead, particularly for peak summer weekends when popular lakefront properties fill early.
The 3.8-night average length of stay aligns with the extended-weekend pattern common to drive-to lake destinations within reach of Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. A Saturday-to-Wednesday or Friday-to-Tuesday booking arc is typical. Operators at popular lake properties can enforce 3-night minimums during peak summer months without significant demand loss given the lead time data. During shoulder months, relaxing to 2-night minimums helps capture the weekend-getaway segment that plans on shorter notice.
For Tyler and Longview urban listings, the 39-day lead time likely overstates planning horizons for corporate and event-driven stays. Operators in urban nodes should consider maintaining availability for shorter-notice bookings, particularly around the Texas Rose Festival in October.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
East Texas has no single regional STR ordinance. Rules vary by city, and rural lake areas operate under county jurisdiction with no known county-level permit requirements.
Longview: Mandatory STR registry under Ordinance 4288 (effective November 2020). Operators must register and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy. Bed and Breakfast operations require the owner to live on-site permanently; Short-Term Residential Rentals do not require owner-occupancy. Local hotel occupancy tax is 9% (combined state plus local), for a 15% total rate.
Lufkin: Ordinance 446 (adopted 2024) requires all STRs to obtain a permit and comply with residential rental inspection requirements. All advertising must include the city-issued permit number. Annual renewal required.
Tyler: A Temporary Use Permit may be required depending on zoning configuration; no universal city-wide registration mandate exists. Local hotel occupancy tax of 9% brings the combined rate to 15%.
Nacogdoches: No STR regulations as of March 2025; a permit ordinance was under council consideration but had not been voted on.
Rural lake areas (Lake Fork, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Lake Palestine): County jurisdiction; Smith, Cherokee, Gregg, Sabine, Jasper, Henderson, and Anderson counties imposed no known county-level STR permit requirement as of May 2026.
Texas state hotel occupancy tax is 6%. Effective April 1, 2025, Texas law requires Airbnb and VRBO to collect and remit the state HOT on behalf of hosts statewide. The regulation market score is 60.0 out of 100.
Market Comparison
East Texas’s April 2026 ADR of $203 is near but slightly below the US STR national median of approximately $220. Occupancy at 42.8% sits below the national median of approximately 55%, reflecting both the seasonal nature of lake recreation demand and the large geographic footprint of this market area.
The RevPAR of $86.95 is below national averages but the investability score of 89.0 stands out as a key signal — the low acquisition cost ($199,633 typical home value) relative to revenue potential makes this one of the more accessible gross-yield markets in the dataset.
Evolve leads the professional management segment by a wide margin with 774 listings, 27,617 reviews, and a 4.71 rating — the dominant operator in this market. Vacasa ranks second with 238 listings and a 4.67 rating. FCR Partners, LP manages 103 listings (4.68 rating) and Neal’s Lodges operates 97 listings (4.79 rating). 979 Vacation Property Services rounds out the top five at 96 listings (4.62 rating). The top five operators manage approximately 1,308 listings, roughly 5.9% of total market listings, indicating a highly fragmented owner-operated market despite Evolve’s significant presence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bay City, Texas
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Do I need a permit to operate a short-term rental in East Texas?
What tax rate applies to East Texas short-term rentals?
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