Drake, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Drake-area STRs averaged $270/night at 30.7% occupancy in April 2026 across 3,700+ active listings in the Rocky Mountain National Park gateway corridor.
Quick Answer: Drake, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Rocky Mtn Natl Park market area is 72%. average monthly revenue in the Rocky Mtn Natl Park market area is $8,143. average daily rate in the Rocky Mtn Natl Park market area is $441. the top operator in the Rocky Mtn Natl Park market area is Evolve with 225 listings. market score is 69/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Rocky Mtn Natl Park regional market, which includes Drake. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Drake.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Drake market encompasses the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) gateway corridor spanning Estes Park, Grand Lake, and surrounding unincorporated Larimer and Grand County areas. With approximately 4.2 million visitors drawn to RMNP annually, this corridor supports one of Colorado’s largest STR inventories, totaling over 3,700 active listings as of the latest snapshot.
In April 2026 (a spring shoulder month), the market posted a $270 average daily rate and 30.7% occupancy, yielding a RevPAR of $83 and average monthly revenue of $2,662. Year-over-year, ADR rose 6.0% and occupancy improved 5.6% from April 2025, though overall revenue growth was flat at 0.4% year-over-year — a reflection of a competitive inventory base rather than weakening demand.
The listing mix skews decisively toward entire-place rentals, which account for 3,632 of the approximately 3,739 total listings (97%). Private rooms represent just 107 listings. By bedroom count, the market spreads relatively evenly across small and mid-size properties: 1-bedroom (1,043 listings), 2-bedroom (990), 3-bedroom (905), 4-bedroom (526), and 5-bedroom or larger (273). Channel distribution shows strong multi-platform presence: 2,458 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, with 913 Airbnb-only and 368 VRBO-only. The market’s overall composite score of 68.6 out of 100 reflects solid rental demand (69.7) and strong revenue growth momentum (89.9), partially offset by a high seasonality score (48.0) that signals meaningful occupancy swings across calendar months.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 34% |
| Feb | 42% |
| Mar | 47% |
| Apr | 34% |
| May | 53% |
| Jun | 71% |
| Jul | 76% |
| Aug | 65% |
| Sep | 61% |
| Oct | 49% |
| Nov | 35% |
| Dec | 45% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Drake are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Rocky Mtn Natl Park market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Rocky Mtn Natl Park market as a whole, which includes Drake, so these counts are not Drake-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 225 | 15,838 | ★ 4.75 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 157 | 10,044 | ★ 4.52 |
| 3 | SkyRun Vacation Rentals | 141 | 10,759 | ★ 4.84 |
| 4 | Rocky Mountain Resorts | 98 | 10,160 | ★ 4.72 |
| 5 | WorldMark | 83 | 1,440 | ★ 4.82 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Drake?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Drake are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 24.4% |
| vrbo | 9.8% |
| both | 65.7% |
Home Value Trends (Drake)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Drake are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Drake — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
This market spans four separate regulatory jurisdictions. Investors must identify which jurisdiction applies to a specific parcel before assuming any single set of rules.
Town of Estes Park (east gateway, residential zones): STRs require a Vacation Home License. The residential zone cap is 322 licenses. A waitlist lottery launched under Ordinance 18-25 (effective December 15, 2025) allows a waitlist capped at 30 applicants. Annual fees total approximately $200 base plus $50 per bedroom, plus a Workforce Housing Linkage Fee of $1,500 (2026, inflation-adjusted from $1,460 in 2025). A 4-year compliance reinspection is mandatory. Owner-occupancy is not required. Commercial-zoned properties face no cap.
Larimer County unincorporated Estes Valley: Requires an STR Operating License with a 208-license cap in residential Estes Valley zones. Licenses do not transfer on property sale. Renewal is $250 every two years.
Town of Grand Lake (west gateway): No hard cap. Tiered annual license fees apply by occupancy level, with a 16-occupant maximum. An 11-plus occupant fee tier of $2,000 per year was added in 2025, with all tiers raised approximately 22%.
Grand County unincorporated: $100 per advertised occupant annually, 16-occupant maximum. Licenses are not portable between parcels.
All jurisdictions operate under a combined occupancy tax burden of 14.2%. Grand County lodging tax increased from 1.8% to 2.0% effective January 1, 2025 after voter approval in November 2024. Enforcement is classified as strict across the corridor.
Market Comparison
Against U.S. STR benchmarks of approximately 55% median occupancy and $220 median ADR, the Drake corridor’s April occupancy of 30.7% is below national norms — but April is a shoulder month here. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 51.0% tracks near the national median, while the 2025 annual ADR average of $351 runs approximately 60% above the national median, reflecting the premium rates this gateway corridor commands.
Operator concentration is notable. The top 5 property managers collectively hold at least 704 listings. Evolve leads with 225 listings and a 4.747 average rating across 15,838 reviews. Vacasa holds 157 listings (4.515 rating, 10,044 reviews). SkyRun Vacation Rentals operates 141 listings with a 4.836 rating and 10,759 reviews — the highest-rated large operator in the market. Rocky Mountain Resorts runs 98 listings (4.720 rating) and WorldMark holds 83 (4.822 rating).
The presence of five established regional and national managers signals a competitive, professionally managed market. Independent operators compete against portfolios with automated pricing and national booking reach. The market’s investability score of 67.5 and rental demand score of 69.7 place it in the above-average tier for Colorado mountain markets, though the regulatory environment (scored 76.2 for permissiveness relative to peers) requires careful jurisdiction-level due diligence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drake, Colorado
What is the average daily rate for STRs in the Drake/Estes Park area?
How much can an STR owner expect to earn per month in this market?
Is it legal to operate a short-term rental in Estes Park or Grand Lake?
What is the peak season for STRs in this market?
How far in advance do guests typically book in this market?
Who are the largest property managers operating in this market?
What is the typical home value for STR investment properties in this corridor?
Analyze Drake Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Drake.
Free Drake STR Calculator →
