Anderson, South Carolina Short-Term Rental Market
Anderson, SC STR market averaged $225 per night at 47.1% occupancy in April 2026 across 2,961 active listings.
Quick Answer: Anderson, South Carolina is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 56%. average monthly revenue is $4,048. average daily rate is $311. the top operator is Evolve with 146 listings. market score is 47/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Lake Hartwell regional market, which includes Anderson. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Anderson.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Anderson, South Carolina, a city of 30,051 in the state’s Upstate region, sits midway between Charlotte and Atlanta along Lake Hartwell, a 56,000-acre Army Corps reservoir with 962 miles of shoreline. Lake Hartwell is the dominant demand driver for short-term rentals in this market, drawing regional drive-market visitors for boating, fishing, and waterfront recreation. The Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center, a 300-acre multi-sport complex, adds year-round youth and amateur sports tourism.
The April 2026 snapshot covers 2,961 active listings. Occupancy averaged 47.1%, average daily rate was $225, and RevPAR reached $105.84. Average revenue per listing was $2,677 for the month. Year-over-year, ADR edged up 1.7% and occupancy was essentially flat (+0.5 percentage points), while revenue dipped 2.0%, indicating a modest softening in overall revenue despite stable demand metrics.
Entire-place listings make up 2,799 of 2,961 total units (95%). Private rooms account for 162 listings. The bedroom distribution is broader than most markets: two-bedroom (715) and three-bedroom (780) properties lead, followed by one-bedroom (631), four-bedroom (504), and five-or-more-bedroom units (327), indicating a significant share of larger lakefront vacation homes. Airbnb-exclusive listings number 1,253; 1,371 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO; 337 list exclusively on VRBO.
The market’s investability score of 88.6 out of 100 stands out as the highest signal in the composite, reflecting the accessible price point of Upstate South Carolina relative to the revenue potential. The overall market score is 47.3, tempered by moderate revenue growth (44.7) and seasonality (53.5).
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29% | $172 | $1,606 |
| Feb | 43% | $158 | $1,651 |
| Mar | 47% | $174 | $2,098 |
| Apr | 48% | $202 | $2,502 |
| May | 50% | $249 | $3,120 |
| Jun | 60% | $274 | $4,191 |
| Jul | 66% | $274 | $4,790 |
| Aug | 54% | $259 | $3,760 |
| Sep | 45% | $266 | $3,109 |
| Oct | 44% | $238 | $2,946 |
| Nov | 44% | $244 | $2,885 |
| Dec | 35% | $205 | $2,306 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Anderson
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 146 | 6,530 | ★ 4.75 |
| 2 | Linton Realty | 86 | 5,662 | ★ 4.96 |
| 3 | Cope Property Management | 47 | 913 | ★ 4.76 |
| 4 | Clemson Vacation Rentals | 36 | 667 | ★ 4.88 |
| 5 | Oconee Hospitality | 31 | 1,572 | ★ 4.91 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Anderson?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 631 |
| 2 bed | 715 |
| 3 bed | 780 |
| 4 bed | 504 |
| 5 bed | 327 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $318 |
| Luxury | $564 |
| Professionally Managed | $404 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,110 |
| Entire Place | $4,179 |
| House | $4,688 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 42.3% |
| vrbo | 11.4% |
| both | 46.3% |
Investment Analysis
April 2026 revenue by property type shows house listings generating $2,939 per month and entire-place listings averaging $2,740. Apartment-type listings lag at $1,885 per month. Annualizing April’s all-listings average produces approximately $32,123 per year, while house-type properties annualize to roughly $35,269.
The ADR spread by tier is wide. Luxury-tier listings averaged $425 per night versus the $225 market average, an 89% premium. Professionally managed listings averaged $284 per night, a 26% premium over the overall market, suggesting that professional management delivers meaningful rate uplift in this market.
Housing value data for Anderson was not available in the current snapshot, so gross-yield calculations cannot be completed. Upstate South Carolina generally offers lower home prices than coastal SC markets, which could support favorable yield potential for lakefront and near-lake properties relative to their revenue output.
The broader trend warrants attention. Annual average revenue per listing peaked in 2021 at $3,485 per month and has declined to $3,123 per month in the 2025 full-year average. Occupancy followed a similar arc, peaking at 55.95% in 2020 and settling to 44.64% in 2025. ADR has been the stabilizing force, rising from $196 in 2020 to $248 in 2025, partially offsetting the occupancy decline. Investors entering this market today are buying into a more competitive, supply-saturated lake market than the 2020-2021 cohort experienced.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The April 2026 data shows an average booking lead time of 49 days, meaning guests typically commit to reservations about seven weeks in advance. This is longer than many regional lake markets and suggests Anderson attracts a meaningful portion of planners who lock in lakefront dates early, particularly for summer peak weekends.
Average length of stay is 3.8 nights. This reflects a mix of long-weekend lake trips and week-long vacation stays. The 3.8-night average translates to approximately 7-8 turnovers per month at average occupancy, creating moderate cleaning and logistics demands.
For operators, the 49-day lead time means the summer booking window opens in late April and May. If July dates are not filling by early June, proactive rate adjustments are needed. The Lake Hartwell market competes with other Southeastern lake destinations, so price positioning against comparable properties on the reservoir is important during the shoulder-season booking window.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Anderson, SC has no dedicated short-term-rental ordinance at the city or county level. STRs are permitted under South Carolina’s general local-control framework. City of Anderson operators must obtain an annual city business license; no STR-specific permit exists. Anderson County imposes a 3% local accommodations fee on short-term rentals under 90 continuous days, adopted under Ordinance 97-006. South Carolina also charges a combined 7% state tax on short-term rentals (5% state sales tax plus 2% state accommodations tax). City-of-Anderson-specific local hospitality tax rates were not confirmed from a primary source and may add to the total; operators should verify the full tax stack with the City Finance office.
Platforms like Airbnb collect and remit South Carolina state taxes automatically, but local accommodations fees may require direct filing with Anderson County.
There is no night cap, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no primary-residence requirement. Zoning is the primary constraint: Anderson does not have an explicit STR land-use category, so eligibility flows through Bed and Breakfast Inn, homestay, and host-home provisions within each zoning district. Operators should confirm their parcel’s zoning district with City Planning before listing.
Enforcement is minimal relative to coastal South Carolina markets. However, Anderson County recently passed a sweeping land-use revision (Ordinance 2025-057) and a separate 90-day freeze on new housing developments. Neither has been confirmed to target STRs specifically, but they signal active regulatory change in the county. Investors should verify current zoning status before committing to a purchase.
Market Comparison
Anderson’s $225 ADR in April 2026 is above the US short-term rental median of approximately $220, reflecting the premium pricing of lakefront and near-lake properties on Lake Hartwell. The 47.1% occupancy is below the US median of approximately 55%, consistent with April being a shoulder month for lake markets.
Year-over-year, Anderson’s revenue declined 2.0% while ADR rose 1.7%, indicating that price increases were offset by occupancy softness. This pattern aligns with a broader trend in Southeastern lake markets where supply expanded significantly during 2020-2022 and demand per listing has moderated since.
Evolve leads the Anderson operator landscape with 146 listings and 6,530 reviews (4.75 average rating). Linton Realty holds second with 86 listings and 5,662 reviews (4.96 rating), suggesting deep local market expertise and strong guest satisfaction. Cope Property Management manages 47 listings (4.76 rating), Clemson Vacation Rentals operates 36 listings (4.88 rating), and Oconee Hospitality holds 31 listings (4.91 rating). The top five collectively manage approximately 346 listings, about 12% of the 2,961-listing market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anderson, South Carolina
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