Cooperstown, New York Short-Term Rental Market
Cooperstown NY STRs averaged $161/night at 43.2% occupancy in April 2026, with July Induction Weekend driving the strongest annual demand spike.
Quick Answer: Cooperstown, 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
Cooperstown is a small village of approximately 1,800 residents whose tourism economy vastly outscales its permanent population. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum anchors the market, drawing an estimated 260,000 to 350,000 visitors per year, with Hall of Fame Induction Weekend each July historically drawing 50,000 to 82,000 fans to a village of fewer than 2,000 people. Additional demand comes from Otsego Lake recreation, the Glimmerglass Festival (opera and musical theater, July through August), the Fenimore Art Museum, The Farmers’ Museum, and Cooperstown Dreams Park youth baseball tournaments.
In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $161 and an occupancy rate of 43.2%, generating average monthly revenue of $1,771 per listing. RevPAR came in at $69.41. April is a shoulder month between winter and the Memorial Day start of the primary tourist season. Year-over-year, occupancy fell 3.41 percentage points while ADR rose 4.26% and revenue declined 2.91%, reflecting the pattern of fewer bookings at higher rates.
The market carries approximately 9,645 active listings. Entire-place properties account for 8,784 units (91%), with 855 private rooms and 6 shared rooms. By bedroom count, 1-bedroom units are most common (3,095), followed by 2-bedroom (2,435), 3-bedroom (2,327), 4-bedroom (1,034), and 5-bedroom (743). Channel distribution shows 5,326 Airbnb-only listings, 748 VRBO-only listings, and 3,571 listings on both platforms.
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 Cooperstown
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 Cooperstown?
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
Cooperstown presents a distinctive investment profile: a high-ADR, highly seasonal market with significant regulatory constraints that effectively limit non-resident investor access to commercial and business-zoned properties. The investability score of 93.84 out of 100 is one of the strongest in the dataset, though this must be read alongside the strict owner-occupancy requirement in residential zones.
At an all-listings ADR of $161 in April 2026, the tier separation is unusually wide. Entire-home listings average $173/night, while professionally managed properties post $260/night, a 62% premium over the all-listings average. Luxury-tier properties reach $391/night. The professional management premium reflects the concentration of high-quality, well-marketed properties at the upper end of this boutique market.
Using the 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $2,660 across all listings and a typical home value of $390,000 (per Zillow data as of April 2026), the implied gross revenue yield is approximately 8.2% on an annualized basis, before expenses, management fees, and taxes. Median list prices in the market averaged $550,000 as of the same snapshot, suggesting that properties actually transacting on the market are priced significantly above the typical home value estimate.
Houses averaged $1,938/month and entire-place units broadly averaged $1,885/month in April 2026. These April figures understate annual potential: the July peak averages $3,778/month per listing, and the 2025 full-year monthly average was $2,660.
Key caveat: non-resident investors are barred from obtaining new STR permits in residential zones (R-1, R-2, R-3). Investor-grade properties are limited to commercial and business zones. Confirm zoning before purchasing.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Cooperstown guests book an average of 37.3 days in advance, a moderate lead time that reflects a mix of event-driven advance bookings (Induction Weekend) and shoulder-season leisure travel. The average length of stay is 4.1 nights, consistent with extended baseball heritage trips and arts festival stays that blend weekend and mid-week travel.
The 37-day average booking window is shorter than what peak-season demand might suggest. Operators should expect Hall of Fame Induction Weekend (typically the last weekend of July) to book out 60-90 days or more in advance at premium rates, while shoulder months fill on a shorter booking cycle closer to the 37-day average.
For pricing strategy, the short summer season rewards yield management: operators who set firm minimum stays of 3-5 nights during Induction Weekend and July 4th, and use dynamic pricing tools to capture last-minute demand in shoulder months, can materially outperform the market average. The 4-night average stay also means that weekly summer bookings (Saturday to Saturday) are common, reducing per-stay cleaning and turnover costs.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Cooperstown enforces one of the more restrictive STR frameworks in New York. Every STR must obtain a Special Use Permit from the Village Board of Trustees or Zoning Board of Appeals, plus a Zoning Permit, and must register annually.
The critical constraint for investors: new STR permits in residential zones (R-1, R-2, R-3) require owner-occupancy. The operator must use the property as their primary domicile and prove it with documentation such as a STAR exemption, state tax returns, voter registration, or a driver’s license. This effectively bars non-resident investors from obtaining residential STR permits. An operator may hold only one STR permit in the village.
Business (B) and Commercial (C) zones are more permissive, requiring a Special Use Permit but without the owner-occupancy mandate. Investor-grade non-owner-occupied STRs are largely confined to these zones.
STRs are inspected on application and annually, and code officials may conduct unannounced inspections when investigating signed complaints. Violations carry fines for each week of continued non-compliance, permit revocation, and potential misdemeanor charges.
On taxes, the Otsego County Hotel/Motel occupancy tax is 6%, collected by Airbnb for stays of 29 nights or fewer. Since March 2025, platforms also collect and remit the 4% New York State sales tax directly. The regulatory score of 70.82 reflects the structured compliance requirements alongside the market’s clarity and consistency.
The current framework dates primarily to 2018 (owner-occupancy rule) with zoning amendments adopted October 23, 2023 and updates effective December 5, 2024. Confirm current zoning eligibility at the parcel level before purchasing.
Market Comparison
Cooperstown’s April 2026 ADR of $161 is slightly below the US short-term rental median of approximately $220, but this understates the market’s rate ceiling: July ADR reaches $226, and professionally managed listings average $260/night year-round. The April figure reflects off-season compression in a highly seasonal village market.
Occupancy at 43.2% in April is below the national median of roughly 55%, though the full-year 2025 average of 48.0% is more representative of the market’s ongoing performance. The market’s total score of 69.66 and investability score of 93.84 reflect strong fundamentals offset by the regulatory constraints and the inherent concentration risk of a market dominated by a single event (Induction Weekend).
The professional management landscape is split between national and hyper-local operators. Evolve leads with 209 listings and 5,947 reviews (4.68 rating). Cooperstown Stay is the leading local operator with 186 listings and 2,249 reviews (4.87 rating), a higher rating than Evolve and a brand clearly optimized for this specific market. ERA Team VP Vacation Properties manages 40 listings (4.43 rating), Angel Rock Waterfront Cottages and Vacation Homes holds 32 listings (4.77 rating), and Cooperstown Baseball Rentals rounds out the top five with 31 listings (4.92 rating). Together the top five manage 498 listings, approximately 5.2% of active inventory. The strong presence of Cooperstown-specific operators (Cooperstown Stay, Cooperstown Baseball Rentals) signals that local market expertise matters more here than in most markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cooperstown, New York
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