Palmer, Alaska Short-Term Rental Market
Palmer, AK short-term rentals earned $247 ADR at 78% occupancy in June 2026 across 4,684 active listings.
Quick Answer: Palmer, Alaska is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 78%. average monthly revenue is $4,755. average daily rate is $247. the top operator is Vacasa with 112 listings. market score is 81/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Anchorage regional market, which includes Palmer. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Palmer.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Palmer sits in the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Valley about 40 miles northeast of Anchorage and serves as a gateway for agritourism and outdoor recreation in Southcentral Alaska. Its signature draw is the Alaska State Fair, held in Palmer over about 12 days at the end of August, which set a record of roughly 388,800 in attendance in 2025, up from 370,485 in 2024 (an event-attendance figure, not a count of unique city visitors). Beyond the fair, visitors come for working-farm tours at the Musk Ox Farm and Reindeer Farm, Matanuska Colony agricultural heritage from the 1935 New Deal era, Hatcher Pass hiking and skiing, and Matanuska Glacier day trips.
Palmer’s short-term rental market comprises 4,684 active listings. In June 2026, the most recent month with complete data, the average daily rate across all listings was $246.74 at 77.59% occupancy, generating average monthly revenue of $4,754.86 per listing. Occupancy is roughly flat year over year (up 0.45%), ADR is down 2.25%, and monthly revenue is up a strong 7.05% year over year.
Entire-place listings dominate the market at 4,157 units (88.7% of supply), with 497 private-room listings (10.6%) and 30 shared-room listings. By bedroom count, one-bedroom units are the largest segment at 1,946 listings (41.6%), followed by two-bedroom at 1,436 (30.7%), three-bedroom at 864 (18.5%), four-bedroom at 272 (5.8%), and five-bedroom or larger at 156 (3.3%). Airbnb-only listings account for 2,749 units (58.7% of supply), 1,735 listings (37.0%) are cross-listed on both Airbnb and Vrbo, and 200 (4.3%) are Vrbo-only.
Palmer’s booking data shows an average lead time of 82.16 days, one of the longer windows in this project, and an average length of stay of 3.28 nights. The area’s market score data rates revenue growth highest at 85.02 out of 100, with rental demand at 83.51 and a total market score of 80.82, among the strongest overall scores in this project.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45% | $135 | $1,661 |
| Feb | 55% | $138 | $1,753 |
| Mar | 58% | $139 | $2,058 |
| Apr | 52% | $129 | $1,731 |
| May | 64% | $146 | $2,110 |
| Jun | 74% | $190 | $3,404 |
| Jul | 73% | $184 | $3,636 |
| Aug | 72% | $176 | $3,450 |
| Sep | 56% | $144 | $2,216 |
| Oct | 44% | $121 | $1,542 |
| Nov | 49% | $123 | $1,482 |
| Dec | 55% | $140 | $1,838 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Palmer
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 112 | 7,680 | ★ 4.41 |
| 2 | Evolve | 100 | 4,738 | ★ 4.71 |
| 3 | Casa Rentals | 73 | 4,176 | ★ 4.86 |
| 4 | Akstay | 38 | 3,752 | ★ 4.85 |
| 5 | Northern Stay Alaska | 35 | 551 | ★ 4.43 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Palmer?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,946 |
| 2 bed | 1,436 |
| 3 bed | 864 |
| 4 bed | 272 |
| 5 bed | 156 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $259 |
| Luxury | $382 |
| Professionally Managed | $312 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $4,252 |
| Entire Place | $5,029 |
| House | $5,246 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 58.7% |
| vrbo | 4.3% |
| both | 37% |
Investment Analysis
At the current average daily rate of $246.74, Palmer short-term rentals produced $4,754.86 in average monthly revenue in June 2026, or roughly $57,058 annualized. Against a typical home value of $440,883.15 (per Zillow data as of June 30, 2026), that annualized revenue implies a gross rental yield of approximately 12.9% before accounting for mortgage, taxes, insurance, cleaning, and management costs.
ADR tiers show meaningful separation: entire-home listings average $259.41 per night, close to the all-listings figure, professionally managed listings average $311.93 (about 26% above the all-listings average), and luxury-tier listings command $382.38 (roughly 55% above). This spread suggests real upside for owners who can position a property in the professionally managed or luxury tier.
Revenue momentum is positive: occupancy is roughly flat year over year (up 0.45%), ADR is down 2.25%, yet monthly revenue is up 7.05% year over year, suggesting a shift toward higher-value bookings or a change in the mix of active listings. Palmer’s market-score data stands out here: a revenue growth score of 85.02 and a rental demand score of 83.51 (both out of 100) are among the strongest seen in this project, combining with an investability score of 69.61 and a total market score of 80.82 to suggest a market with genuine underlying strength, tempered by a more moderate seasonality score of 58.44 reflecting the market’s Alaska summer concentration.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Palmer guests book an average of 82.16 days ahead of their stay, one of the longer lead times in this project, and the average length of stay is 3.28 nights. This combination points to well-planned trips tied to Alaska’s short summer season, likely built around the Alaska State Fair, glacier tours, or Hatcher Pass hiking, rather than spontaneous regional visits.
For pricing, a booking window approaching 12 weeks gives owners substantial visibility into demand well ahead of the June-through-August peak, allowing early bookings to be priced firmly while any later gaps get discounted closer to arrival. The 3.28 night average stay means higher turnover per listing than in markets with week-plus stays, so cleaning and turnover costs factor meaningfully into monthly economics. Given how concentrated demand is in Palmer’s brief summer window, owners should treat the long lead time as an opportunity to lock in peak-season bookings at full rate well before summer arrives.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Palmer permits short-term rentals citywide under Palmer Municipal Code Chapter 17.89, and rentals are not limited to owner-occupied units. Operators must obtain a City Short-Term Rental License and hold a State of Alaska business license. The application requires the state business license number, property location, and rental capacity. Licenses are valid for one calendar year and must be renewed annually, with renewal due before February 1.
Operators must designate a responsible or local contact person reachable whenever the property is rented, and must post a sign showing the owner or contact information and license number inside each unit. The license number and occupancy limit must also appear in all advertising and online listings. One extra off-street parking space is required per rented bedroom or unit, and no on-street guest parking is allowed. Paid events, such as weddings or receptions, are barred outside agriculture or commercial zoning districts.
Palmer’s general city business license is reported at $25.00 per year, though the exact fee for the dedicated STR license itself is not published online and should be confirmed with Palmer Finance or Community Development. There is no dedicated bed or lodging tax; instead, Palmer’s 3.00% city sales tax applies to rentals, capped at the first $1,000 of a transaction, so the maximum sales tax on any single booking is $30 regardless of the total rental price. There is no cap on nights per year and no citywide owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement; non-owner-occupied STRs are allowed. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
Palmer’s 77.59% occupancy in June 2026 runs well above the roughly 55% median occupancy typically seen across the broader U.S. short-term rental market, while its $246.74 average daily rate is somewhat above the roughly $220 national median ADR. This combination reflects strong, concentrated demand during Alaska’s short summer tourism window.
The market is led by Vacasa, which holds the top position with 112 listings, 7,680 reviews, and a 4.412 average rating. Evolve ranks second with 100 listings and the highest rating among the top five at 4.712. Casa Rentals follows with 73 listings and the highest average rating overall at 4.858. Akstay holds 38 listings with a 4.849 rating, and Northern Stay Alaska rounds out the list with 35 listings and a 4.431 rating. The presence of Alaska-specific operators like Casa Rentals, Akstay, and Northern Stay Alaska alongside the two national platforms suggests local specialization competes well against larger operators in this market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Palmer, Alaska
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