Fort Pierce, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Fort Pierce STRs averaged $217/night at 55.4% occupancy in April 2026 across roughly 5,338 active listings.
Quick Answer: Fort Pierce, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 55%. average monthly revenue is $3,482. average daily rate is $217. the top operator is Evolve with 191 listings. market score is 71/100 (grade B).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Fort Pierce, Florida sits on the Treasure Coast along the Indian River Lagoon, with direct access to Hutchinson Island’s 21 miles of Atlantic beaches. The short-term rental market here is sizeable, with approximately 5,338 active listings across Airbnb and VRBO as of the latest snapshot.
In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $217 and occupancy of 55.4%, producing a RevPAR of $120. Average monthly revenue per listing came in at $3,482. Year-over-year, ADR rose 5.3% and occupancy edged up 0.3 percentage points, though revenue slipped 5.5% compared to April 2025, reflecting slight softening in realized bookings despite stronger pricing.
The listing mix skews heavily toward entire-place rentals. Of the 5,338 total listings, 4,861 (91%) are entire-place properties. Private rooms account for 475 listings (9%), and shared rooms are negligible at 2. By bedroom count, 1-bedroom (1,652) and 2-bedroom (1,676) units each make up roughly 31% of supply, followed by 3-bedroom (1,342, or 25%), 4-bedroom (476, or 9%), and 5-bedroom-plus (183, or 3%).
Channel distribution shows 2,684 listings active on both Airbnb and VRBO, 1,971 Airbnb-only, and 683 VRBO-only. Listings appearing on both platforms represent the most competitive segment, indicating operators who maximize channel exposure.
The market’s composite StaySTRA score is 71.3 out of 100, led by a very strong revenue growth score of 95.0. Investability scores 73.5, while rental demand (61.7), seasonality (63.6), and regulation (61.2) reflect the moderate seasonal swings and manageable but real compliance requirements of this coastal market.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70% | $171 | $3,142 |
| Feb | 85% | $187 | $3,754 |
| Mar | 80% | $198 | $4,197 |
| Apr | 56% | $180 | $2,901 |
| May | 54% | $161 | $2,421 |
| Jun | 62% | $178 | $2,876 |
| Jul | 64% | $170 | $2,963 |
| Aug | 52% | $151 | $2,327 |
| Sep | 51% | $133 | $1,875 |
| Oct | 56% | $140 | $2,083 |
| Nov | 59% | $158 | $2,369 |
| Dec | 62% | $176 | $2,752 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Fort Pierce
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 191 | 5,617 | ★ 4.63 |
| 2 | Paradise Vacation Rentals | 157 | 259 | ★ 4.39 |
| 3 | Hutchinson Island Real Estate | 73 | 37 | ★ 4.33 |
| 4 | Right Direction Rentals | 57 | 169 | ★ 4.71 |
| 5 | Island Beach Resort | 35 | 383 | ★ 4.48 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Fort Pierce?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,652 |
| 2 bed | 1,676 |
| 3 bed | 1,342 |
| 4 bed | 476 |
| 5 bed | 183 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $227 |
| Luxury | $423 |
| Professionally Managed | $367 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,950 |
| Entire Place | $3,653 |
| House | $3,734 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 36.9% |
| vrbo | 12.8% |
| both | 50.3% |
Investment Analysis
Fort Pierce’s entry cost is accessible relative to many Florida coastal markets. The typical home value as of April 2026 is $278,425, with a median sale price of $257,500 and a median list price of $309,300. With 779 homes for sale and a median of 62 days to pending, buyers have some negotiating time, and the sale-to-list ratio of 0.833 suggests purchase prices are settling below list.
At April 2026’s monthly revenue of $3,482 and a typical home value of $278,425, the implied gross revenue yield on a full-year basis is approximately 15.0% (annualized revenue: $41,782 versus property value). That figure assumes constant monthly revenue, which overstates peak-period and understates trough-period returns. Realistic stabilized yields depend heavily on seasonal management.
ADR tiers reveal meaningful upside for well-positioned properties. The all-listings average ADR is $217; entire-home listings average $227; luxury-tier listings average $423; and professionally managed listings average $367. The gap between average and professionally managed ADR is $151 per night. At 55.4% occupancy over a 30-day month, that translates to roughly $2,504 more in monthly revenue for the professionally managed cohort, before management fees.
The 2025 annual average ADR was $207 and occupancy was 60.9%, with average monthly revenue of $3,465. Revenue has grown steadily from $1,577/month in 2017 to $3,465 in 2025, a compound trajectory that reflects both national STR growth and Fort Pierce’s improving coastal profile. The revenue growth market score of 95.0 out of 100 reflects this multi-year upward trend.
Investors should note the 5.5% YoY revenue dip in April 2026 versus April 2025, which warrants monitoring but may reflect a transient demand softness rather than a structural shift given the long-run trajectory.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
In April 2026, guests in the Fort Pierce market booked an average of 47.5 days in advance with an average length of stay of 6.1 nights.
A 47-day lead time is meaningfully longer than the typical 2 to 3 week booking window seen in many drive-to markets. This suggests guests plan Fort Pierce trips with some deliberateness, likely correlating with the beach-and-nature visitor profile who books specific beach weeks or winter-escape stays. For operators, a 47-day window creates a useful pricing opportunity: rates set at or slightly above target during the 45 to 60 day pre-arrival window can be tested before moving to last-minute discount tactics closer to check-in.
An average stay of 6.1 nights is longer than a typical urban STR (often 2 to 3 nights) and reflects the vacation rental character of this coastal market. Longer stays reduce turnover frequency and per-stay cleaning costs, improving net margins relative to markets with 2-night minimums. However, a 6-night average also means that filling a calendar requires fewer, longer blocks, which increases the impact of each cancellation or vacancy gap.
Operators setting 7-night minimums during peak winter months align well with this natural stay pattern and can simplify housekeeping logistics without sacrificing occupancy.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Fort Pierce requires two distinct permits for short-term rental operators.
The first is a city vacation rental registration under Chapter 22, Article X of the Fort Pierce Code of Ordinances. The initial application fee is $350; annual renewal is $200 per unit. The city switched from a uniform September 30 renewal date to anniversary-date billing in 2022.
The second is a Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Vacation Rental Dwelling License, required statewide for properties rented more than three times per year for stays under 30 days. The DBPR license costs approximately $170 to $180 annually for a single unit.
Owner-occupancy and primary-residence requirements do not apply. Non-owner-occupied investment properties may register without restriction. There is no cap on annual rental nights.
Tax obligations include Florida’s 6% state sales tax, St. Lucie County’s 1% discretionary surtax, and a 5% St. Lucie County Tourist Development Tax, for a combined burden of approximately 12% on gross rental revenue. The market’s regulation score of 61.2 out of 100 reflects a manageable but actively enforced framework.
Enforcement is handled through a contract with Host Compliance/Granicus, which monitors online listing platforms for unregistered operators and operates a 24-hour complaint hotline (772-227-1580). Penalties range from daily fines to registration revocation. Enforcement severity is rated moderate.
The 2021 ordinance overhaul (Ord. 21-019, effective August 3, 2021) replaced a slow Conditional Use Permit process with a streamlined staff-level registration system. As of July 2024, the Business Tax Receipt was discontinued and replaced by a Certificate of Use. Properties in HOA-governed communities or historic district overlays may face additional private-law restrictions not governed by city ordinance.
Market Comparison
Against national STR benchmarks, Fort Pierce performs close to the median on occupancy and above average on ADR. The national median STR occupancy is approximately 55%; Fort Pierce’s April 2026 rate of 55.4% sits right at that benchmark. The national median STR ADR is approximately $220; Fort Pierce’s $217 is nearly on par.
What distinguishes Fort Pierce is its revenue growth trajectory. The revenue growth market score of 95.0 out of 100 places it among the top-tier markets nationally for multi-year revenue appreciation. Monthly revenue grew from $1,577 in 2017 to $3,482 in April 2026, more than doubling over nine years. That is a stronger long-run growth curve than many established Florida beach markets that have already seen significant appreciation and plateauing demand.
Within the market, Evolve is the dominant operator with 191 listings and 5,617 reviews (average rating 4.6), representing approximately 3.6% of active listings. Paradise Vacation Rentals holds 157 listings and 259 reviews (rating 4.4). Hutchinson Island Real Estate manages 73 listings (rating 4.3). Together the top three operators account for 421 listings, or about 7.9% of the active market. The operator landscape is relatively fragmented, meaning no single manager commands a dominant share, which keeps competitive pressure broadly distributed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Pierce, Florida
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