Cortez, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Cortez STRs averaged $396/night at 62.5% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 7.0% year over year.
Quick Answer: Cortez, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 63%. average monthly revenue is $6,561. average daily rate is $396. the top operator is AMI Locals with 517 listings. market score is 65/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Cortez is a small unincorporated fishing community in Manatee County on Florida’s Gulf Coast, adjacent to Anna Maria Island and the Bradenton Beach area. Despite a permanent population of only about 4,121, the broader STR market area tracked under this area_id draws an estimated 3.8 million annual visitors and encompasses approximately 22,069 active listings, reflecting its position in the larger Anna Maria Island and Manatee County coastal corridor. The inventory is overwhelmingly entire-place rentals: 21,299 listings are whole-property units, 763 are private rooms, and 7 are shared rooms.
The bedroom distribution shows a two-bedroom concentration typical of coastal condo and beach house markets: 8,989 two-bedroom listings lead the count, followed by three-bedroom homes (5,798), one-bedroom units (4,194), four-bedroom properties (2,115), and five-bedroom-plus homes (959). By channel, 13,503 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 5,179 are Airbnb-only, and 3,387 are VRBO-only.
The April 2026 average daily rate was $395.74, with occupancy at 62.5% and RevPAR of $247.35. Year over year, occupancy declined 4.8% while ADR grew 6.6% and revenue rose 7.0% — a pattern indicating that operators successfully raised rates even as occupancy compressed, resulting in net positive revenue momentum. This divergence between falling occupancy and rising revenue per booking is characteristic of markets where pricing power is firm and the supply base is absorbing without a rate war.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | $230 | $3,751 |
| Feb | 84% | $259 | $4,626 |
| Mar | 84% | $307 | $6,080 |
| Apr | 61% | $289 | $4,533 |
| May | 60% | $266 | $4,134 |
| Jun | 69% | $288 | $5,008 |
| Jul | 68% | $271 | $4,921 |
| Aug | 50% | $250 | $3,649 |
| Sep | 43% | $220 | $2,646 |
| Oct | 55% | $231 | $3,069 |
| Nov | 55% | $219 | $2,867 |
| Dec | 59% | $247 | $3,355 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cortez
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMI Locals | 517 | 14,805 | ★ 4.71 |
| 2 | SKLRP And LKV | 424 | 4,618 | ★ 4.71 |
| 3 | Evolve | 342 | 10,676 | ★ 4.71 |
| 4 | Vacasa | 298 | 10,778 | ★ 4.50 |
| 5 | RVA Resort Vacations | 212 | 7,775 | ★ 4.50 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cortez?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 4,194 |
| 2 bed | 8,989 |
| 3 bed | 5,798 |
| 4 bed | 2,115 |
| 5 bed | 959 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $402 |
| Luxury | $743 |
| Professionally Managed | $551 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $5,085 |
| Entire Place | $6,662 |
| House | $7,510 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 23.5% |
| vrbo | 15.3% |
| both | 61.2% |
Investment Analysis
Cortez’s 7.0% year-over-year revenue growth, combined with a revenue growth market score of 80.43 and an ADR increase of 6.6%, makes this one of the stronger revenue-momentum markets in this batch despite falling occupancy. The April 2026 average monthly revenue of $6,561 per listing projects to roughly $78,736 annualized.
Housing data is limited for this market: the typical home value is $747,228 (Zillow, April 2026) and the median list price is $958,333, but no median sale price is available on file. With only 24 active for-sale listings on record, this is an exceptionally thin transaction market. Using the typical home value as a reference, the implied gross yield on a typical property at market-average revenue is approximately 10.5%. Buyers in this market face significant competition for scarce inventory, and actual purchase prices should be verified through local transaction data before relying on any yield estimate.
Tier ADR data shows the widest luxury premium of all five markets in this batch. The all-listings ADR of $395.74 rises to $551.24 for professionally managed properties (a 39.3% premium) and to $743.38 for the luxury tier (a 87.9% premium — nearly double the market average rate). House listings generate $7,510 per month versus $5,085 for apartment-type units, a gap of $2,425 monthly or roughly $29,100 annualized. This house-versus-apartment spread is the largest of the five markets and reflects the strong premium placed on standalone Gulf-front homes in this corridor.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Cortez guests book an average of 73.3 days in advance, the longest lead time of the five markets in this batch and more than two and a half months ahead. This long booking window reflects the strong demand for waterfront properties on and near Anna Maria Island, where desirable units are booked well in advance of the February-March peak season. For operators, this extended planning horizon enables more aggressive pricing strategies: operators can list peak season inventory at premium rates months ahead, then apply dynamic pricing to capture late demand.
Average length of stay is 5.41 nights, the longest of the five markets in this batch. This is approaching a full week-long stay, consistent with destination vacation behavior where guests are traveling from out of state or internationally for an extended Gulf Coast trip. Minimum stay policies of 5-7 nights during peak season are operationally appropriate and broadly accepted in this market. Shorter minimums in shoulder months (August-November) help fill gaps without sacrificing the operating economics of peak weeks.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Cortez sits in unincorporated Manatee County, which operates under a permissive STR framework compared to the nearby incorporated municipalities of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach. Manatee County has no county-wide STR-specific ordinance imposing a permit requirement, minimum-stay restriction, occupancy cap, or owner-occupancy mandate on unincorporated properties. Florida Statute 509.032 preempts local governments from restricting rental frequency or duration, further limiting the county’s ability to add new restrictions.
Operators must complete three registrations: (1) a Florida DBPR Transient Public Lodging Establishment vacation rental license (required for rentals under 30 days more than three times per year), (2) a Manatee County Tourist Development Tax account with the county Tax Collector to remit the 6% local tourist tax, and (3) a Florida Department of Revenue sales-tax registration for the 7% state sales and use tax. The combined lodging tax is 13% (6% county TDT plus 7% state). The county TDT rate increased from 5% to 6% effective January 1, 2025, following voter approval on November 5, 2024. Importantly, Manatee County does not have an automatic collection agreement with Airbnb or VRBO — hosts are personally responsible for collecting and remitting the 6% county portion even for platform bookings. State DBPR license fees were not on file at the time of this report; confirm current costs with the Florida DBPR directly. Enforcement in unincorporated Manatee County is described as minimal.
Market Comparison
Cortez’s April 2026 ADR of $395.74 is well above the U.S. STR median ADR of approximately $220, placing this market among the premium coastal destinations in Florida. Occupancy at 62.5% is above the national median of roughly 55%, though the 4.8% year-over-year decline bears watching. RevPAR of $247.35 is the highest of the five markets in this batch, reflecting the premium ADR base.
AMI Locals leads the market with 517 listings (14,805 reviews, 4.712 average rating). SKLRP And LKV holds 424 listings (4,618 reviews, 4.709 rating), Evolve manages 342 listings (10,676 reviews, 4.710 rating), Vacasa has 298 listings (10,778 reviews, 4.497 rating), and RVA Resort Vacations rounds out the top five with 212 listings (7,775 reviews, 4.499 rating). Together the top five account for approximately 1,793 of roughly 22,069 total listings — about 8.1% of the market. The top three operators (AMI Locals, SKLRP And LKV, Evolve) all carry ratings of 4.71, reflecting consistently high guest satisfaction in this corridor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cortez, Florida
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