Canon City, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Canon City STRs averaged $179/night at 40.9% occupancy in April 2026, with July peak occupancy reaching 72.4%.
Quick Answer: Canon City, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 41%. average monthly revenue is $2,184. average daily rate is $179. the top operator is Evolve with 552 listings. market score is 66/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Canon City, Colorado sits in the Arkansas River valley at 5,300 feet elevation, 45 minutes from Colorado Springs and two hours from Denver. The market recorded a $179 average daily rate and 40.9% occupancy in April 2026, its seasonal trough month, with a RevPAR of $73. Year-over-year, occupancy is up 2.5%, ADR up 2.9%, and revenue up 2.3%, indicating steady, modest growth across all three core metrics.
The listing inventory skews strongly toward entire-place rentals, which account for 10,363 of the 11,086 total tracked listing-channel combinations (93.5%). Private rooms represent 718 listings and shared rooms just 5. Bedroom distribution is relatively balanced across the 1-to-3BR range: 1-bedroom units account for 3,546 listing-month records, 2-bedrooms 2,834, and 3-bedrooms 3,016. Larger properties are less common, with 1,120 4-bedroom and 549 5-bedroom units.
Channel distribution shows 5,562 listings appearing on both Airbnb and VRBO, while 4,608 list exclusively on Airbnb and 916 exclusively on VRBO. The dual-channel concentration suggests most active operators have adopted multi-platform strategies.
Market scores from the latest snapshot place Canon City at 66.4 overall, with rental demand the strongest component at 73.2 and investability at 70.7. Revenue growth scores lower at 64.2, consistent with the modest but positive YoY trajectory.
The anchor attraction is the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, which has drawn more than 26 million visitors since 1929. Supporting demand generators include Arkansas River whitewater rafting, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, and Red Canyon Park. The drive-market location (Front Range access) concentrates demand from May through September, with a secondary October foliage window.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42% | $188 | $2,294 |
| Feb | 50% | $191 | $2,371 |
| Mar | 54% | $193 | $2,841 |
| Apr | 41% | $155 | $1,934 |
| May | 57% | $171 | $2,268 |
| Jun | 67% | $208 | $3,431 |
| Jul | 72% | $216 | $4,203 |
| Aug | 63% | $203 | $3,572 |
| Sep | 59% | $191 | $3,034 |
| Oct | 51% | $175 | $2,542 |
| Nov | 45% | $167 | $1,987 |
| Dec | 51% | $200 | $2,555 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Canon City
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 552 | 34,985 | ★ 4.77 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 205 | 11,102 | ★ 4.60 |
| 3 | Vacation Rental Collective | 163 | 8,326 | ★ 4.83 |
| 4 | Pinon Vacation | 111 | 8,000 | ★ 4.82 |
| 5 | VIP Vacation Services | 94 | 3,082 | ★ 4.83 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Canon City?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,546 |
| 2 bed | 2,834 |
| 3 bed | 3,016 |
| 4 bed | 1,120 |
| 5 bed | 549 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $185 |
| Luxury | $327 |
| Professionally Managed | $210 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,715 |
| Entire Place | $2,260 |
| House | $2,354 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 41.6% |
| vrbo | 8.3% |
| both | 50.2% |
Investment Analysis
At a $179 average daily rate in April 2026, Canon City sits in the lower-middle tier of Colorado STR markets. The tier differential is meaningful: entire-home listings average $185/night. Professionally managed listings average $210/night, a 17% premium over the $179 all-listings ADR. Luxury-tier properties average $327/night, an 83% premium.
Annual revenue from the latest single-month data projects to approximately $26,202 (revenue average of $2,184 times 12). Using Zillow’s typical home value of $334,786 as an acquisition benchmark, that translates to a gross revenue yield of approximately 7.8%. This does not account for operating expenses, platform fees, or taxes. The actual net yield will be lower.
The 2025 annual average occupancy was 53.9% and ADR was $217, reflecting a stronger full-year picture than the April trough snapshot. Revenue growth has been positive since 2020: annual average revenue climbed from $2,737 in 2020 to $3,240 in 2025. The post-2021 moderation (from a peak of $3,215 in 2021 to $3,000 in 2023) has stabilized, with 2024 and 2025 each posting modest gains.
Housing fundamentals show 205 active listings for sale and a median days-to-pending of 53, suggesting measured buyer demand. The sale-to-list ratio of 0.840 indicates properties are selling at a discount to list price on average, which could favor buyers willing to negotiate. No published data on the percentage of properties sold above list price is available for this market.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Canon City guests book an average of 40 days in advance and stay an average of 3.8 nights per booking. The 40-day lead time is a useful pricing window: operators can implement moderate base rates in the 30-to-60-day window and shift to dynamic pricing for last-minute inventory. Guests who book more than 40 days out are typically planning ahead for peak-season visits (summer rafting, Royal Gorge), while shorter-lead bookings may reflect drive-market spontaneity from the Front Range.
The 3.8-night average stay sits between the standard weekend (2 nights) and a full week. A 3-night minimum during peak season would capture the typical stay while reducing turnover costs compared to 2-night minimums. Setting a 7-night minimum in July could leave gaps unless the market supports it, which the data does not confirm.
Turnover frequency matters for labor planning. At 3.8 nights average and 72.4% July occupancy in a 31-day month, an operator can expect roughly 5 to 6 guest rotations per month in peak season, which informs cleaning and supply budgets.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Canon City permits short-term rentals. Hosts operating within city limits must obtain a short-term rental license under Canon City Municipal Code, cited by third-party sources as Section 16-330. The underlying ordinance text is not directly accessible online; investors should contact Canon City’s Sales/Use Tax Department at 719-276-5253 or [email protected] to confirm current requirements before operating. The permit cost and renewal period are not published in available sources.
The combined sales tax rate applicable to STR revenue in Canon City is 8.7% as of January 2025 (Colorado state 2.9%, Fremont County 2.5%, City of Canon City 3.3%, after the city’s January 2025 rate increase from 3.0% to 3.3%). Fremont County additionally imposes a 2% lodging tax on overnight accommodations including vacation rentals, approved by county voters. The area profile records an overall occupancy tax figure of 8.2%. Airbnb does not collect or remit Canon City or Fremont County taxes on behalf of hosts; operators must register and remit independently through the Colorado Department of Revenue and Fremont County.
Zoning context: Canon City’s code lists bed-and-breakfast establishments as conditional uses in R-2, R-3, MH-1, and MH-2 residential districts, but the code does not appear to contain a standalone short-term rental use category in available excerpts. The STR-specific rules are reportedly in Section 16-330. Enforcement severity is rated minimal.
Properties in unincorporated Fremont County are subject to county zoning. No county-level STR permit application appeared in the county’s published forms as of December 2024. Colorado HB23-1287, effective August 6, 2025, allows counties to require listing platforms to include local permit numbers and remove unlicensed listings. Investors should monitor whether Fremont County adopts this mechanism.
Market Comparison
Against national STR benchmarks, Canon City’s April 2026 ADR of $179 is below the US STR median of approximately $220, and its 40.9% April occupancy is below the national median of roughly 55%. However, April is the trough month; the 2025 annual occupancy average of 53.9% and annual ADR of $217 are much closer to national norms.
The market’s total score of 66.4 out of 100 (from the latest dimension snapshot) reflects a balanced but not exceptional position. Rental demand (73.2) and investability (70.7) are the strongest components. Revenue growth (64.2) is the weakest, consistent with the market’s modest but stable YoY trajectory.
Operator concentration is notable. Evolve leads with 552 listings and 34,985 reviews at a 4.77 average rating. Vacasa holds second at 205 listings (4.60 rating). Vacation Rental Collective (163 listings, 4.83 rating), Pinon Vacation (111 listings, 4.82 rating), and VIP Vacation Services (94 listings, 4.83 rating) represent smaller, locally focused operators. The top 5 operators collectively hold 1,125 listings across tracked data.
Individual owners without management representation who can achieve professional-management-level ADR ($210) would retain platform fees that managed operators pass to management companies, improving net yield.
Frequently Asked Questions About Canon City, Colorado
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