Ballwin, Missouri Short-Term Rental Market
Ballwin, MO STRs averaged $151/night at 64.0% occupancy in April 2026, with 5,521 active listings across the St. Louis metro western suburbs.
Quick Answer: Ballwin, Missouri is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 64%. average monthly revenue is $2,642. average daily rate is $151. the top operator is StayLage with 103 listings. market score is 97/100 (grade A).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Ballwin’s short-term rental market covers a suburban residential corridor in west St. Louis County, roughly 20 miles from downtown St. Louis. As of April 2026, the market reported a 64.0% average occupancy rate and a $150.94 average daily rate across active listings, producing a RevPAR of $96.60. Average monthly host revenue reached $2,642 per listing.
Year over year, ADR climbed 4.1% and average revenue rose 3.5%, while occupancy edged down 2.0 percentage points from the prior April, a modest softening consistent with the broader suburban STR trend following post-pandemic normalization.
The market carries 5,521 active listings based on channel data. The vast majority, 4,858 (88.0%), are entire-place rentals. Private rooms account for 659 listings (11.9%), and shared rooms make up 4 listings (less than 0.1%). The bedroom distribution skews toward smaller units: 1-bedroom listings lead at 2,162 (39.2%), followed by 2-bedroom at 1,632 (29.6%), 3-bedroom at 1,001 (18.2%), 4-bedroom at 454 (8.2%), and 5-bedroom at 261 (4.7%).
By channel, Airbnb-only listings number 3,060, VRBO-only 273, and dual-listed properties 2,188. The strong dual-listing presence indicates that many professional operators actively manage cross-channel distribution.
The market’s composite Apivex score of 97.19 out of 100 reflects strong revenue growth (96.31) and investability (85.64), with solid rental demand (80.29) and manageable seasonality (82.60). The regulation score of 63.82 reflects Ballwin’s owner-occupancy permit requirements, which meaningfully constrain who can participate in this market.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49% | $99 | $1,455 |
| Feb | 58% | $106 | $1,532 |
| Mar | 66% | $122 | $2,224 |
| Apr | 62% | $121 | $2,042 |
| May | 65% | $127 | $2,216 |
| Jun | 70% | $136 | $2,544 |
| Jul | 69% | $132 | $2,545 |
| Aug | 64% | $129 | $2,319 |
| Sep | 61% | $125 | $2,064 |
| Oct | 61% | $126 | $2,170 |
| Nov | 57% | $117 | $1,856 |
| Dec | 55% | $114 | $1,798 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Ballwin
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | StayLage | 103 | 5,318 | ★ 4.63 |
| 2 | ABODEbucks | 96 | 9,117 | ★ 4.79 |
| 3 | Stay in the STL | 87 | 2,493 | ★ 4.82 |
| 4 | Landing, Inc. | 87 | 148 | ★ 3.96 |
| 5 | Evolve | 79 | 2,984 | ★ 4.54 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Ballwin?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 2,162 |
| 2 bed | 1,632 |
| 3 bed | 1,001 |
| 4 bed | 454 |
| 5 bed | 261 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $162 |
| Luxury | $246 |
| Professionally Managed | $177 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,252 |
| Entire Place | $2,837 |
| House | $2,975 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 55.4% |
| vrbo | 4.9% |
| both | 39.6% |
Investment Analysis
Ballwin’s STR investment case rests on a combination of steady occupancy, positive ADR trends, and a relatively accessible housing entry point compared to gateway markets.
At April 2026’s average monthly revenue of $2,642 per listing, the annualized gross revenue estimate for an average listing is approximately $31,700. Against a typical home value of $416,048 (Zillow, April 2026), that implies a gross revenue yield of approximately 7.6%. Actual net yield will be lower after platform fees, property management, maintenance, and the cost of compliance with Ballwin’s owner-occupancy requirement.
Tier performance shows meaningful variation. Entire-home listings average $162.41/night, a $11 premium over the all-listing ADR of $150.94. The luxury tier reaches $245.93/night, and professionally managed listings command $176.98/night, which is $26 above the market average. This professionally managed premium suggests that operators who invest in quality and distribution do capture measurably higher rates.
From a housing market perspective, the median sale price of $372,002 is $44,000 below the typical home value of $416,048, and the median list price of $348,317 suggests motivated sellers exist. With only 5 median days to pending and a sale-to-list ratio of 1.068 (buyers are paying 6.8% above asking on average), acquisition competition is meaningful. Inventory stands at 111 active listings in the for-sale market.
Revenue growth has been sustained since 2021: average annual revenue went from $2,282 in 2021 to $2,350 in 2022, $2,255 in 2023, $2,411 in 2024, and $2,602 in 2025, a five-year compound trend in the positive direction. However, the owner-occupancy requirement limits this market to operators who live on-site, which materially restricts the investor pool.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Ballwin bookings in April 2026 show an average lead time of 36.6 days and an average length of stay of 4.44 nights.
A 36.6-day average booking window is moderately short for a suburban market. It suggests guests are not planning far in advance, which gives operators limited early visibility into demand but also creates a meaningful opportunity for dynamic pricing adjustments in the 30- to 60-day booking window. Operators who hold rates firm rather than discounting early will likely capture more last-minute revenue during peak summer weeks, when demand historically stays elevated through the final weeks before arrival.
A 4.44-night average stay is longer than a typical weekend getaway (2-3 nights) but shorter than a full-week booking. This mid-length pattern has practical implications for turnover: operators can expect roughly six to seven bookings per month at full occupancy, which affects cleaning costs, restocking cadence, and maintenance scheduling. Targeting minimum-stay requirements of 3 to 4 nights can preserve this average while reducing the friction of frequent same-day turnovers.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Ballwin enacted its short-term rental ordinance on April 23, 2018, making it one of the earlier St. Louis County municipalities to formally regulate platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
STRs are permitted in Ballwin but subject to a strict owner-occupancy mandate. The property must be the applicant’s primary residence, and the owner must reside there at least 180 days per calendar year. Before listing, the owner must pass a city occupancy inspection and obtain a short-term rental permit. The permit renews every two years. Permit fees are not publicly posted online and were not available in the source data.
Rental records must be retained for at least two years. Parking is limited to the property and the immediately abutting street. Two or more code violations within any 180-day window can trigger permit revocation. Enforcement severity is rated moderate.
On taxes, Ballwin sits within St. Louis County, which levies a 7.25% Hotel/Motel Room Tax on transient accommodations, including Airbnb and VRBO bookings (3.75% Convention and Tourism plus 3.5% Convention and Sports). Missouri state sales tax of approximately 4.225% also applies to short-term lodging, bringing the estimated combined tax burden to roughly 11.5%. No Ballwin-specific city lodging tax was identified in the source data.
One important overlay: subdivision deed covenants and HOA rules are not preempted by the city ordinance. Many Ballwin neighborhoods with active HOAs may prohibit STRs regardless of city permission. Prospective operators should independently verify their subdivision rules before applying for a permit.
No ordinance amendments were identified after the 2018 enactment. In early 2025, the Missouri legislature advanced a bill classifying STRs as residential properties for property tax assessment, which could lower assessed values for STR investors statewide but does not override Ballwin’s local permit requirements.
Market Comparison
Ballwin’s STR market occupancy of 64.0% in April 2026 sits above the commonly cited US STR median of approximately 55%, indicating stronger-than-average demand absorption for a residential suburb. The market’s $150.94 ADR is below the national STR median of approximately $220, reflecting the suburban positioning and the owner-occupancy restrictions that suppress professional inventory at scale.
Regionally, this market operates as an overflow and alternative accommodation layer for St. Louis metro visitors rather than a standalone destination market, which contributes to the lower ADR compared to resort or urban core markets.
The operator landscape is fragmented, with no single property manager dominating the market. StayLage leads with 103 listings and 5,318 reviews at a 4.63 average rating. ABODEbucks follows with 96 listings and 9,117 reviews at 4.79. Stay in the STL ranks third with 87 listings and 2,493 reviews at a 4.82 average rating, the highest among the top five. Landing, Inc. also holds 87 listings but carries a notably lower 3.96 average rating from 148 reviews. Evolve rounds out the top five at 79 listings, 2,984 reviews, and a 4.54 rating.
The top five operators together account for 452 listings, or approximately 8.2% of the estimated 5,521 total active listings, confirming the market remains heavily self-managed or distributed across smaller operators.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ballwin, Missouri
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