Conway, Arkansas Short-Term Rental Market
Conway, AR area STRs averaged $159/night at 44.0% occupancy in April 2026 with a 96.5 investability score.
Quick Answer: Conway, Arkansas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 44%. average monthly revenue is $1,961. average daily rate is $159. the top operator is Evolve with 434 listings. market score is 85/100 (grade A).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Conway, Arkansas is a college city of approximately 70,000 residents located about 30 miles north of Little Rock along I-40, home to three colleges: the University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College, and Central Baptist College. The STR market area extends to surrounding outdoor recreation destinations and includes 6,880 active listings. The overwhelming majority are entire-place rentals (6,660), with 219 private rooms and one shared room. The average daily rate in April 2026 was $158.61 and occupancy reached 44.0%. RevPAR came in at $69.72 per available night.
Bedroom mix is broadly distributed: 2-bedroom properties lead with 2,014 listings, followed closely by 1-bedrooms (1,997), 3-bedrooms (1,921), 4-bedrooms (647), and 5-bedroom-plus units (296). Airbnb is the dominant channel with 3,041 listings versus VRBO’s 601, and 3,238 listings appear on both platforms simultaneously.
Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy gained 5.05 percentage points and revenue rose 4.58%, while ADR dipped 1.78%. This pattern suggests operators accepted modest rate reductions to drive meaningful occupancy improvements, a net positive. The composite market score of 85.1 is driven primarily by high investability (96.5) and moderate-to-strong seasonality (83.0) and revenue growth (67.7) scores.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32% | $132 | $1,364 |
| Feb | 40% | $132 | $1,298 |
| Mar | 51% | $153 | $2,029 |
| Apr | 43% | $151 | $1,813 |
| May | 49% | $161 | $2,038 |
| Jun | 57% | $176 | $2,694 |
| Jul | 57% | $178 | $2,879 |
| Aug | 44% | $163 | $2,085 |
| Sep | 42% | $155 | $1,800 |
| Oct | 50% | $156 | $2,184 |
| Nov | 45% | $152 | $1,890 |
| Dec | 38% | $146 | $1,697 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Conway
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 434 | 17,398 | ★ 4.78 |
| 2 | Arkansas Vacation | 38 | 768 | ★ 4.74 |
| 3 | King Rhodes | 32 | 413 | ★ 4.75 |
| 4 | Buffalo Outdoor Center | 27 | 308 | ★ 4.91 |
| 5 | Ivy Vacations | 25 | 3,144 | ★ 4.90 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Conway?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,997 |
| 2 bed | 2,014 |
| 3 bed | 1,921 |
| 4 bed | 647 |
| 5 bed | 296 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $161 |
| Luxury | $295 |
| Professionally Managed | $197 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,373 |
| Entire Place | $1,988 |
| House | $2,090 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 44.2% |
| vrbo | 8.7% |
| both | 47.1% |
Investment Analysis
At an average monthly revenue of $1,961 in April 2026, an annualized Conway area STR generates approximately $23,500 in gross revenue. Housing cost data is not available in the current snapshot, so gross yield estimates are not calculable at this time.
Revenue varies meaningfully by property type. Houses averaged $2,090 per month, outperforming the market average by 6.6%. Entire-place listings broadly averaged $1,988 per month, while apartments averaged $1,373 per month, a significant gap reflecting the strong preference for house-style accommodations in this market. Professionally managed properties command an ADR of $197.47, a 24.5% premium over the all-listings average of $158.61. Luxury-tier listings reach $295.37 per night, serving a meaningful premium segment.
The investability score of 96.5 is near the top of the scale. Annual revenue data shows a market that expanded sharply during 2020-2021 (averaging $2,163-$2,370/month) and has since settled at a lower plateau of roughly $2,100-$2,120/month in 2024-2025, with April 2026 at $1,961 reflecting the typical slower spring month. Year-over-year occupancy gains of 5.05 percentage points in April 2026 suggest the demand side is recovering after the 2022-2024 correction phase, which is a positive signal for forward revenue.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Booking Insights
Conway area guests book approximately 39.0 days in advance, about five and a half weeks before check-in. This lead time is moderate for a college and outdoor recreation market, longer than pure corporate-travel markets (Huntsville, Montgomery) but shorter than major beach destinations. The mix of university events (which publish dates well in advance), outdoor recreation, and festivals creates a dual booking pattern: event-driven reservations made weeks or months ahead, and spontaneous weekend outdoor recreation bookings made within two to three weeks.
Average length of stay is 3.68 nights, consistent with weekend-plus getaway patterns typical of regional college and outdoor markets. Short stays mean more turnovers per month but also flexibility to fill gaps between multi-night blocks. Operators should publish festival dates (particularly Toad Suck Daze in early May and UCA athletic schedules) on their listings and set minimum-stay requirements for those high-demand periods to avoid underselling peak inventory with single-night bookings at standard rates.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Conway requires a Short-Term Rental License from the City Clerk’s office for all STR operations within city limits, established by Ordinance O-21-94 (passed September 14, 2021, effective January 2022). The license application fee is $100 and renews annually; renewal applications, proof of insurance, and local representative information must be filed with the City Clerk no later than each January.
STRs are restricted to legally permitted, single-family-zoned dwellings only. Other dwelling types and zones are not eligible under the licensing program. A local designated property representative must be available 24/7 and able to respond to complaints within one hour of contact.
Operators must also register for an Advertising and Promotion (A&P) tax permit number and collect and remit the city’s 2% A&P lodging tax on gross receipts monthly. Standard Arkansas state and local sales taxes apply on top of this. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no annual night cap. Operating without a valid license or A&P permit exposes operators to city penalties. No major ordinance changes were identified after the 2022 effective date; the city continued to publish standard license application packets through 2025. HOA covenants at individual properties may impose additional restrictions.
Market Comparison
Nationally, the median STR occupancy is approximately 55% and median ADR roughly $220. Conway’s April 2026 occupancy of 44.0% is below the national median, which is partly a function of the seasonality pattern (April is a shoulder month here) and partly a reflection of a growing but smaller market. The $158.61 ADR is below the national median, consistent with a mid-Arkansas market.
Evolve is the dominant professional operator with 434 listings and 17,398 reviews at a 4.78 rating, representing roughly 6.3% of total area inventory. The remaining top operators are significantly smaller: Arkansas Vacation (38 listings, 4.74 rating), King Rhodes (32 listings, 4.75 rating), Buffalo Outdoor Center (27 listings, the highest rating among the top five at 4.91, with 308 reviews suggesting a niche outdoor-recreation focus), and Ivy Vacations (25 listings, 3,144 reviews, 4.90 rating). Combined, the top five manage 556 listings, roughly 8.1% of total inventory, meaning the market is very predominantly owner-operated. Evolve’s scale advantage (434 listings versus the next-largest at 38) is substantial. The high ratings of Buffalo Outdoor Center (4.91) and Ivy Vacations (4.90) suggest that smaller operators in this market compete on quality rather than volume.
Frequently Asked Questions About Conway, Arkansas
What is the average daily rate for STRs in Conway, AR?
What occupancy rates do Conway area STRs achieve?
How much can a Conway STR earn per month?
What permits are required for a short-term rental in Conway, AR?
Is Conway a good market for STR investment?
How far in advance do guests book Conway rentals?
Who are the top property managers in the Conway, AR market?
Analyze Conway Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Conway.
Free Conway STR Calculator →
