Gunnison, Colorado Short-Term Rental Market
Gunnison CO STRs averaged $179/night at 40.9% occupancy in April 2026, with July peak occupancy reaching 72.4% across 11,000-plus active listings.
Quick Answer: Gunnison, Colorado is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Colorado Area market area is 65%. average monthly revenue in the Colorado Area market area is $4,125. average daily rate in the Colorado Area market area is $244. the top operator in the Colorado Area market area is Evolve with 552 listings. market score is 67/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Colorado Area regional market, which includes Gunnison. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Gunnison.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Gunnison sits in a high-altitude Colorado valley marketed jointly with Crested Butte as a year-round outdoor recreation destination by the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism and Prosperity Partnership. The STR market here is large relative to the city’s resident population of 6,766, with approximately 11,109 active listings across the broader Gunnison area.
Entire-place listings dominate at 10,381 units, or about 93% of supply. Private rooms add 723 listings and shared rooms five. The bedroom mix leans toward one- and three-bedroom units: one-bedroom leads at 3,557 listings, three-bedroom at 3,021, two-bedroom at 2,842, four-bedroom at 1,119, and five-bedroom-plus at 550. Channel distribution shows strong multi-platform activity: 5,581 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 4,614 are Airbnb-only, and 914 are VRBO-only.
As of April 2026, the market posted 40.9% average occupancy, a $179.17 average daily rate, and average monthly revenue of $2,184. RevPAR was $73.22. April is seasonally one of the weaker months in Gunnison, as the ski season winds down before summer hiking and biking demand picks up. Year-over-year, occupancy improved 2.5 percentage points, ADR grew 2.9%, and revenue rose 2.4%. The overall market score is 66.7 out of 100, with rental demand at 73.3 and seasonality at 69.7, reflecting a reasonably balanced two-season demand pattern.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 42% |
| Feb | 50% |
| Mar | 54% |
| Apr | 41% |
| May | 57% |
| Jun | 67% |
| Jul | 72% |
| Aug | 63% |
| Sep | 59% |
| Oct | 51% |
| Nov | 45% |
| Dec | 51% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Gunnison are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Colorado Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Colorado Area market as a whole, which includes Gunnison, so these counts are not Gunnison-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 552 | 35,001 | ★ 4.77 |
| 2 | Vacasa | 218 | 11,513 | ★ 4.60 |
| 3 | Vacation Rental Collective | 164 | 8,344 | ★ 4.82 |
| 4 | Pinon Vacation | 111 | 8,032 | ★ 4.82 |
| 5 | VIP Vacation Services | 94 | 3,083 | ★ 4.83 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Gunnison?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Gunnison 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 | 41.5% |
| vrbo | 8.2% |
| both | 50.2% |
Home Value Trends (Gunnison)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Gunnison 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 Gunnison — 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
In the City of Gunnison, short-term rental operators must hold a city sales-tax license from the Finance Department. The city actively monitors Airbnb and VRBO listings and issues fines for unlicensed operators or operators who fail to remit taxes.
In June 2022, the city presented a draft set of proposed STR regulations for public input. These included a citywide cap on total STR licenses (staff target approximately 2.5% of free-market housing units, roughly 70 units), a limit of one vacation-rental license for owners whose Gunnison property is not their primary residence, a two-year minimum ownership period before a non-primary-residence owner could apply, and a requirement for a named local responsible party. As of a late-2023 Gunnison County jurisdiction table, these proposed rules did not appear to have been adopted into city code, and licenses were effectively unlimited. Investors should confirm the current codified rules directly with the city Finance and Community Development offices before relying on these details, as the status may have changed.
The city does not publish a permit fee in the available data. No cap on rental nights and no primary-residence requirement appear to be in force as of the last verified information.
On taxes, stays under 30 nights carry a 4% City of Gunnison sales tax plus a 4% Gunnison County Local Marketing District lodging tax, Colorado state sales tax of 2.9%, and applicable county sales tax. The combined tax burden is material and should be factored into host pricing.
Separately, Gunnison County (outside city limits) adopted zoning-based STR regulations with county commissioner support in early 2024. Properties in unincorporated Gunnison County are subject to those county rules rather than city rules.
Market Comparison
Gunnison’s April 2026 occupancy of 40.9% is well below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, but April is the seasonal trough for this market. The July peak of 72.4% occupancy is comfortably above the national median. The ADR of $179.17 in April also sits below the U.S. median of roughly $220, though July ADR averages $216 and luxury-tier listings average $327.35 year-round.
The overall market score of 66.7 is moderate by national comparison, constrained by a revenue growth score of 64.4 that reflects post-pandemic plateau conditions.
The operator landscape is led by Evolve with 552 listings and 35,001 reviews (4.77 average rating), the dominant national platform manager in this market. Vacasa holds 218 listings with 11,513 reviews at a 4.60 rating. Vacation Rental Collective manages 164 listings with 8,344 reviews at a 4.82 rating. The top three operators together hold 934 listings, approximately 8% of the 11,109 total active supply. The remaining 92% of supply is managed by smaller regional operators and independent hosts, reflecting the fragmented nature of mountain STR markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gunnison, Colorado
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