Clayton, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Clayton, NY STRs averaged $161/night at 43.2% occupancy in April 2026 across more than 9,600 active listings.
Quick Answer: Clayton, New York is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 43%. average monthly revenue is $1,771. average daily rate is $161. the top operator is Evolve with 209 listings. market score is 70/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Clayton, NY STR market includes more than 9,600 active listings as of April 2026, spanning a broad upstate New York region that encompasses the Thousand Islands corridor, Adirondacks fringe, and surrounding rural areas. The average daily rate in April 2026 was $160.60, with occupancy at 43.2% and RevPAR at $69.41. Year-over-year trends through April 2026 reflect a softening demand picture: occupancy fell 3.41% while ADR rose 4.26%, resulting in a net revenue decline of 2.91% compared to the prior year.
Entire-place listings dominate supply at 8,784 units (91.2% of listings), with private rooms at 855 and shared rooms at just 6. By bedroom count: 1-bedroom units lead at 3,095, followed by 2-bedrooms (2,435), 3-bedrooms (2,327), 4-bedrooms (1,034), and 5-bedroom properties (743). On the channel side, Airbnb-exclusive listings number 5,326, VRBO-exclusive 748, and 3,571 listings appear on both platforms.
Market scores highlight a strong investability rating of 93.84, the standout dimension. Overall market score is 69.66. Regulation scores 70.82 and revenue growth scores 65.12, while rental demand at 58.77 and seasonality at 64.20 reflect the region’s pronounced warm-weather concentration.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40% | $208 | $2,370 |
| Feb | 48% | $216 | $2,527 |
| Mar | 40% | $171 | $1,960 |
| Apr | 44% | $156 | $1,771 |
| May | 47% | $176 | $1,823 |
| Jun | 56% | $215 | $2,846 |
| Jul | 64% | $226 | $3,778 |
| Aug | 60% | $220 | $3,586 |
| Sep | 44% | $189 | $2,285 |
| Oct | 44% | $186 | $2,276 |
| Nov | 40% | $166 | $1,886 |
| Dec | 43% | $190 | $2,123 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Clayton
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 209 | 5,947 | ★ 4.68 |
| 2 | Cooperstown Stay | 186 | 2,249 | ★ 4.87 |
| 3 | ERA Team VP Vacation Properties | 40 | 175 | ★ 4.43 |
| 4 | Angel Rock Waterfront Cottages & Vacation Homes | 32 | 386 | ★ 4.77 |
| 5 | Cooperstown Baseball Rentals | 31 | 378 | ★ 4.92 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Clayton?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,095 |
| 2 bed | 2,435 |
| 3 bed | 2,327 |
| 4 bed | 1,034 |
| 5 bed | 743 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $173 |
| Luxury | $390 |
| Professionally Managed | $260 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,380 |
| Entire Place | $1,885 |
| House | $1,938 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 55.2% |
| vrbo | 7.8% |
| both | 37% |
Investment Analysis
At a typical home value of $319,185 (April 2026 Zillow estimate) and average monthly revenue of $1,771 in April 2026, a Clayton-area STR generates approximately $21,251 in gross annualized revenue at current occupancy, implying a gross revenue yield of roughly 6.7% before operating expenses. That figure is based on the April data month and does not reflect the summer peak when revenue historically more than doubles.
Tier differences are notable. Entire-home ADR of $172.62 is $12 above the all-listings average, while the professionally managed tier averages $260.30 per night and the luxury tier reaches $390.45. The $100 spread between all-listings and professionally managed ADR is among the largest tier gaps in the dataset, suggesting that premium presentation and service can command a significant rate premium in this market.
The annual revenue series peaked in 2021 at $2,827 per month and has declined each year since, reaching $2,601 in 2024 and recovering modestly to $2,660 in 2025. The housing market shows limited liquidity: only 18 active for-sale listings at a median list price of $446,333. No median sale price or days-to-pending data is available, limiting the ability to assess pricing dynamics in depth. The gap between the typical home value ($319,185) and the median list price ($446,333) suggests the active listing inventory skews toward higher-priced properties.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The average booking lead time in the Clayton, NY region is 37.28 days, meaning guests book approximately five weeks in advance. This is a tighter booking window than many comparable markets, which has implications for pricing strategy: operators have less runway to hold rates before a booking materializes, and discounting decisions must be made closer to the check-in date.
The average length of stay is 4.10 nights, slightly above four nights. This reflects a market where multi-night stays are the norm, consistent with a destination that requires travel from urban centers and warrants at least a long weekend. A 4-night average also reduces per-booking cleaning and turnover frequency compared to 1-3 night weekend-warrior markets. Minimum-stay policies of 3 or 4 nights are well-aligned with guest behavior patterns here and can be applied year-round without significant booking friction.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
New York State enacted significant STR legislation in late 2024 and early 2025. Governor Hochul signed S.885C on December 21, 2024, with a chapter amendment (S.820) finalized in February 2025. Key provisions: platforms including Airbnb and VRBO must collect and remit the 4% New York State sales tax on all STR bookings effective March 1, 2025 — hosts no longer file this tax separately for platform-collected bookings. STR occupancy is subject to state and local sales tax when the nightly rate exceeds $2.00.
Article 12-D of the Real Property Law, effective September 22, 2025, requires each county to establish an STR registration system unless the county opts out by local law before December 31, 2025. Platforms must verify registrations and file quarterly county-level occupancy reports. Early adopters include Albany, Columbia, Oneida, Tompkins, and Washington counties. Monroe County opted out. St. Lawrence County (where Clayton is located) has a 3% room tax in place; specific registration requirements for St. Lawrence County under Article 12-D are not confirmed in the profile data.
At the local level, Clayton NY’s STR regulations vary by jurisdiction. No owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement applies at the state level, and owner-occupied requirements do not appear in this area’s profile. Enforcement is rated moderate. Permit cost and specific local permit type are not published in the profile. Operators should verify directly with Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties for local registration requirements.
Market Comparison
Clayton’s April 2026 occupancy of 43.2% is notably below the US STR median of approximately 55%. The all-listings ADR of $160.60 is also below the national median of roughly $220. However, the seasonally adjusted picture is different: at peak (July 64.44%, $226 ADR), Clayton matches or exceeds national norms. The pronounced seasonality means annual average metrics understate peak-period performance.
The investability score of 93.84 is the highest of the scored dimensions, reflecting low regulatory friction relative to the income opportunity at current home prices. The revenue growth score of 65.12, combined with the 2.91% revenue decline year-over-year in April 2026, indicates the market has moderated since its 2021 peak and has not yet returned to consistent growth.
On the operator side, Evolve leads with 209 listings and 5,947 reviews (4.68 rating). Cooperstown Stay ranks second with 186 listings and 2,249 reviews at a notably high 4.87 rating, suggesting strong local specialist performance. ERA Team VP Vacation Properties holds third with 40 listings (4.43 rating). The top-3 operators manage 435 listings combined, representing approximately 4.5% of the 9,634-listing market. As with Clarksville, concentration is low, leaving significant room for independent operators.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clayton, New York
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