Emporia, Kansas Short-Term Rental Market
Emporia, KS STRs averaged $135/night at 49.0% occupancy in April 2026, anchored by Unbound Gravel cycling and a 94.85 investability score.
Quick Answer: Emporia, Kansas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 49%. average monthly revenue is $1,795. average daily rate is $135. the top operator is Evolve with 60 listings. market score is 86/100 (grade A).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Emporia is a Flint Hills city of roughly 24,131 residents in east-central Kansas, positioned as the self-described Gravel Capital of the World. Its signature event, Lifetime Unbound Gravel (formerly Dirty Kanza), draws approximately 10,700 to 12,000 attendees each year, generating an estimated $21.7 million in economic impact and creating one of the most concentrated demand spikes of any mid-sized American STR market. Other draws include the Glass Blown Open disc golf tournament, Emporia State University, the historic downtown district with over 115 contributing buildings, and Flint Hills outdoor recreation.
As of April 2026, the market recorded an average daily rate of $135 and occupancy of 49.0%. RevPAR stood at $66.36. The active listing pool totals approximately 4,308 properties. Entire-place rentals make up 3,839 listings (89% of supply), with 466 private rooms and 3 shared rooms. By bedroom count: 1-bedroom units account for 1,408 listings, 2-bedrooms 1,317, 3-bedrooms 936, 4-bedrooms 419, and 5-bedroom-plus properties 223. Channel distribution shows 2,863 listings on Airbnb only, 1,244 on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 201 on VRBO only, reflecting strong Airbnb dominance in this market.
Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy declined 9.75 percentage points and revenue fell 5.04%, while ADR rose 2.38%. The composite market score is 85.93 out of 100, driven by an investability score of 94.85 and a seasonality score of 91.68, the latter indicating highly consistent year-round demand.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40% | $100 | $1,206 |
| Feb | 45% | $99 | $1,135 |
| Mar | 49% | $105 | $1,394 |
| Apr | 50% | $109 | $1,459 |
| May | 52% | $115 | $1,601 |
| Jun | 54% | $119 | $1,777 |
| Jul | 56% | $114 | $1,795 |
| Aug | 52% | $112 | $1,652 |
| Sep | 51% | $118 | $1,634 |
| Oct | 49% | $118 | $1,628 |
| Nov | 53% | $116 | $1,691 |
| Dec | 47% | $115 | $1,556 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Emporia
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 60 | 2,098 | ★ 4.74 |
| 2 | Stay Awhile | 18 | 2,494 | ★ 4.96 |
| 3 | OwlStays | 11 | 447 | ★ 4.56 |
| 4 | Equi-Venture Farm | 10 | 2,667 | ★ 4.85 |
| 5 | Swin Housing | 8 | 454 | ★ 4.84 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Emporia?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,408 |
| 2 bed | 1,317 |
| 3 bed | 936 |
| 4 bed | 419 |
| 5 bed | 223 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $139 |
| Luxury | $237 |
| Professionally Managed | $168 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,615 |
| Entire Place | $1,882 |
| House | $1,949 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 66.5% |
| vrbo | 4.7% |
| both | 28.9% |
Investment Analysis
Emporia presents a low-cost-entry, high-investability profile with event-driven demand spikes that can generate significant premium pricing during Unbound Gravel week. The April 2026 ADR of $135 for all listings rises to $139 for entire-home units, $168 for professionally managed properties, and $237 for luxury-tier listings. These tiers show that professional management and quality positioning carry clear pricing power even in an otherwise modest-rate market.
Using 2025 annual averages (occupancy 51.94%, ADR $133, monthly revenue $1,940), a property performing at the market average would generate approximately $23,280 in gross annual revenue. No housing value data was available for this area, so a purchase-price-based yield calculation cannot be confirmed.
The investability score of 94.85 out of 100 is exceptionally high. The seasonality score of 91.68 confirms that revenue is relatively stable across months, with the spread between the peak month (July, $1,795 average revenue) and trough month (February, $1,135) being about 1.6x, modest compared to resort markets. Revenue growth scores 48.10, the lowest of the five metrics, consistent with data showing the market has reached a mature level after rapid ADR growth from 2021 to 2023. Year-over-year occupancy softened significantly (-9.75 pp) in April 2026, which warrants monitoring.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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As of April 2026, Emporia STR guests booked an average of 42.6 days in advance and stayed an average of 3.85 nights per stay. The 43-day lead time is typical of mid-size event-driven markets, though Unbound Gravel participants tend to book much earlier, often six to twelve months in advance for that specific event window. Operators should implement a dynamic pricing strategy that protects event-week inventory far in advance while keeping standard pricing flexible closer to arrival.
The 3.85-night average stay reflects a mix of event visitors (who often book 4-to-5-night stays around Unbound week) and shorter university and regional drive-to visits. A 2-to-3-night minimum works well for most of the year; operators may consider a 4-to-5-night minimum specifically during Unbound Gravel week to capture full-event stays and maximize revenue during the demand spike.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Emporia has no dedicated short-term rental permit, registration program, or STR-specific ordinance. No STR license was found on the city’s published permits page, and the municipal code does not contain an STR registration article. Operators are not required to obtain a permit specific to short-term rentals. The primary tax obligation is Emporia’s transient guest tax of 8%, which applies to lodging stays of 28 consecutive days or fewer, including platform-listed STRs. This tax is collected alongside Kansas state and local sales taxes on short-term lodging. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit applicable taxes automatically for platform-booked stays.
No owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence mandate, annual night cap, or STR cost ceiling was found. Operators must still comply with general zoning regulations and business tax registration. The city updated its Zoning Regulations via Ordinance 23-28 (adopted September 20, 2023), though this did not establish an STR-specific regime. Land use defaults to applicable residential or commercial zoning; operators should confirm their zoning district with Emporia Planning and Zoning before listing.
Enforcement is minimal given the absence of a registration requirement. However, Unbound Gravel’s growing economic footprint and rising lodging costs have attracted local attention, so regulations could evolve. Confirm current requirements directly with the City of Emporia before operating.
Market Comparison
Against national STR benchmarks (median occupancy approximately 55%, median ADR approximately $220), Emporia’s April 2026 occupancy of 49.0% is below the national median and the ADR of $135 is roughly 39% below. The 2025 full-year average occupancy of 51.94% and ADR of $133 reflect a small-city market where the value proposition for investors is low acquisition cost combined with steady, event-boosted demand rather than high per-night rates.
The professional management segment is small and fragmented. Evolve leads with 60 listings and a 4.74 average rating across 2,098 reviews, representing roughly 1.4% of the approximately 4,308-listing market. Stay Awhile manages 18 listings with a notably high 4.96 rating and 2,494 reviews. Equi-Venture Farm holds 10 listings with 2,667 reviews at a 4.85 rating, suggesting a well-established niche operator. OwlStays (11 listings, 4.56 rating) and Swin Housing (8 listings, 4.84 rating) complete the top five. The very low listing counts across all five operators confirm that Emporia’s STR market is almost entirely independently operated, which limits competitive management pressure but also means less pricing infrastructure for new entrants to benchmark against.
Frequently Asked Questions About Emporia, Kansas
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