Foley, Alabama Short-Term Rental Market
Foley, AL STRs averaged $338/night at 57.6% occupancy in April 2026 across roughly 20,000 active listings.
Quick Answer: Foley, Alabama is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 58%. average monthly revenue is $5,296. average daily rate is $338. the top operator is Vacasa with 1,878 listings. market score is 82/100 (grade B).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Foley anchors Baldwin County’s inland Gulf Coast corridor, drawing overflow lodging demand from nearby Gulf Shores and Orange Beach as well as direct visitors to OWA Parks & Resort and Tanger Outlets. The short-term rental market here is large: roughly 20,063 active listings spread across bedroom sizes, with 2-bedroom (6,773 listings) and 3-bedroom (6,650) units making up the core supply. Nearly the entire market is entire-place rentals (19,825 listings, or about 98.7% of supply), reflecting the vacation-rental character of the Gulf Coast region.
In April 2026, the market averaged a daily rate of $338 and an occupancy rate of 57.6%, producing a RevPAR of $194.73. Occupancy was up 8.9% year-over-year, and total revenue grew 7.2% year-over-year despite a 2.4% dip in ADR, suggesting the market is adding bookings faster than it is adding rate. The multi-platform mix is well-developed: 13,519 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, while 3,565 are VRBO-only and 2,995 are Airbnb-only, indicating most professional operators run dual-channel distribution. The market’s total score of 82.3 out of 100 reflects strong investability (95.0) and rental demand (87.3), offset by pronounced seasonality (43.5).
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | $198 | $1,986 |
| Feb | 64% | $208 | $2,590 |
| Mar | 69% | $293 | $4,492 |
| Apr | 49% | $297 | $4,090 |
| May | 64% | $326 | $5,193 |
| Jun | 80% | $384 | $7,967 |
| Jul | 79% | $362 | $7,704 |
| Aug | 54% | $296 | $4,605 |
| Sep | 52% | $261 | $3,702 |
| Oct | 53% | $248 | $3,502 |
| Nov | 34% | $225 | $2,193 |
| Dec | 30% | $220 | $1,898 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Foley
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 1,878 | 81,402 | ★ 4.37 |
| 2 | Brett Robinson Vacation Rentals | 1,775 | 15,937 | ★ 4.53 |
| 3 | Liquid Life | 898 | 23,604 | ★ 4.59 |
| 4 | My Beach Getaways | 443 | 10,896 | ★ 4.58 |
| 5 | Beachball Properties | 420 | 13,232 | ★ 4.62 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Foley?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,049 |
| 2 bed | 6,773 |
| 3 bed | 6,650 |
| 4 bed | 2,268 |
| 5 bed | 1,323 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $341 |
| Luxury | $468 |
| Professionally Managed | $376 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $5,114 |
| Entire Place | $5,331 |
| House | $5,874 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 14.9% |
| vrbo | 17.8% |
| both | 67.3% |
Investment Analysis
At an average home value of $303,425 (Zillow, April 2026) and using the 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $5,321, the annualized revenue run rate is approximately $63,852. Against a $303,425 entry price, that implies a gross yield of approximately 21.0% before expenses, which is high relative to most US coastal markets and reflects the large share of professionally managed inventory here.
Tier differentiation is meaningful. Entire-home listings averaged $5,331 per month in April 2026 versus $5,114 for apartment-style units. Houses specifically averaged $5,874 in that month. The luxury tier averaged $468/night in ADR versus $338 for all listings, and professionally managed properties averaged $376/night, suggesting that operator quality and property positioning have a measurable impact on rate capture. The housing market itself shows a sale-to-list ratio of 0.887, meaning homes are generally selling below list price, and median days to pending is 43 days, indicating moderate competition for acquisition. For-sale inventory stands at 385 units. The revenue growth score of 85.5 and investability score of 95.0 are among the strongest signals in the dataset.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
In April 2026, Foley’s average booking lead time was 55.5 days, meaning guests typically book about eight weeks in advance. This is a meaningful window for dynamic pricing adjustments. Properties that open availability early and price competitively in the 60-to-90-day window can capture demand from planners; those that hold rates too high through that window risk last-minute discounting.
The average length of stay is 4.31 nights, which is consistent with a weekend-and-long-weekend destination market. Stays just above four nights mean higher average cleaning and turnover costs per booking compared to markets with longer stays. Operators who set minimum-stay requirements of 3-4 nights can reduce turnover frequency, but must balance that against weekend-only demand from short-haul drive visitors. At 4.31 nights average, this market sits between a pure weekend market and a weekly vacation rental market.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals are legal in Foley and regulated through a two-step city process. Operators must first obtain a City of Foley business license (one license per owner, covering all their Foley STRs), then apply for a separate Short Term Rental Permit for each individual rental unit. Applications go through the city’s CitizenServe portal. Each unit requires designating an owner, property manager, a 24-hour contact, and an emergency contact, which the city shares with Police and Fire. A fire safety inspection must occur before permits are issued.
The municipal occupancy tax rate is 7%. Combined with Alabama’s state lodgings tax (4% in Baldwin County) and Baldwin County’s 2% lodging tax, the all-in guest tax is approximately 13%. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, making this market accessible to non-resident investors. No cap on annual rental nights was identified in the city’s published rules. The business license renews annually, with gross STR revenue reported each year. Enforcement is rated moderate. HOA, condo, and subdivision covenants may impose additional restrictions independent of city rules and should be verified before acquisition.
Market Comparison
At 57.6% occupancy in April 2026, Foley is above the US STR median of approximately 55%, which is notable given April is a transitional month preceding the summer peak. The April ADR of $338.33 is well above the US median ADR of approximately $220, reflecting the premium the Gulf Coast beach corridor commands relative to most domestic markets.
Professional management is heavily concentrated. The top three operators account for significant market share: Vacasa leads with 1,878 listings and 81,402 reviews (average rating 4.37), followed by Brett Robinson Vacation Rentals with 1,775 listings and 15,937 reviews (average rating 4.53), and Liquid Life with 898 listings and 23,604 reviews (average rating 4.59). Together these three operators account for roughly 4,551 listings out of approximately 20,063 total, or about 22.7% of the market. The high concentration of professional management explains the elevated professionally managed ADR tier ($376) and the strong total market score of 82.3.
Frequently Asked Questions About Foley, Alabama
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