Milford, Connecticut Short-Term Rental Market
Milford, CT STRs averaged $156/night at 59.9% occupancy in April 2026, with Connecticut's 15% state room occupancy tax among the highest nationally.
Quick Answer: Milford, Connecticut is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Stamford/New Haven market area is 65%. average monthly revenue in the Stamford/New Haven market area is $4,094. average daily rate in the Stamford/New Haven market area is $234. the top operator in the Stamford/New Haven market area is Compass Furnished Apartments with 54 listings. market score is 49/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Stamford/New Haven regional market, which includes Milford. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Milford.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Milford, CT short-term rental market covers 3,722 tracked listings in New Haven County, along the Connecticut shore of Long Island Sound. Milford (population 52,684) is a coastal city between New Haven and Bridgeport, drawing summer beach visitors to Silver Sands State Park, Walnut Beach, and Charles Island, as well as commuters and business travelers given its position on the I-95 and Metro-North Commuter Railroad corridor.
In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $156, a 59.9% occupancy rate, and a $93 RevPAR. Year over year, occupancy improved 2.6 percentage points, ADR declined 0.6%, and revenue increased 0.7%, reflecting stable demand with minor rate softness.
The 2025 full-year average was 58.9% occupancy and a $187 ADR, generating $3,075 in average monthly revenue per listing. Entire-place rentals account for 74.4% of inventory at 2,770 listings, with 951 private-room listings (25.6%) and one shared-room listing. The bedroom distribution shows 1-bedrooms leading at 1,816 units, followed by 2-bedrooms (774), 3-bedrooms (590), 4-bedrooms (318), and 5-bedroom-plus homes (221).
Channel distribution is Airbnb-dominant: 2,347 listings on Airbnb only, 1,184 on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 191 on VRBO only. Market scores include an investability rating of 62.9, a seasonality score of 72.8, a rental demand score of 63.7, and a total score of 48.9. No housing price data is available in the dataset for this area.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48% | $124 | $1,791 |
| Feb | 58% | $122 | $1,784 |
| Mar | 59% | $124 | $1,983 |
| Apr | 63% | $132 | $2,145 |
| May | 64% | $168 | $2,629 |
| Jun | 67% | $183 | $3,156 |
| Jul | 71% | $188 | $3,562 |
| Aug | 71% | $194 | $3,641 |
| Sep | 62% | $164 | $2,705 |
| Oct | 61% | $156 | $2,662 |
| Nov | 57% | $149 | $2,294 |
| Dec | 53% | $150 | $2,252 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Stamford/New Haven market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Stamford/New Haven market as a whole, which includes Milford, so these counts are not Milford-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compass Furnished Apartments | 54 | 51 | ★ 4.45 |
| 2 | Housing solutions | 50 | 2,034 | ★ 4.71 |
| 3 | Evolve | 29 | 774 | ★ 4.26 |
| 4 | ITrip Vacations | 17 | 302 | ★ 4.90 |
| 5 | Premium Trips | 14 | 233 | ★ 4.52 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Milford?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,816 |
| 2 bed | 774 |
| 3 bed | 590 |
| 4 bed | 318 |
| 5 bed | 221 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $291 |
| Luxury | $476 |
| Professionally Managed | $194 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,030 |
| Entire Place | $4,927 |
| House | $4,899 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 63.1% |
| vrbo | 5.1% |
| both | 31.8% |
Investment Analysis
April 2026 data shows a $156 average daily rate, 59.9% occupancy, and $2,442 average monthly revenue per listing. Full-year 2025 revenues averaged $3,075 per listing per month, implying an annualized gross of approximately $36,900 for a typical listing. No housing price data is available for yield calculation.
Revenue differentiates by property type. Entire-place listings averaged $2,954 per month in April 2026, house listings $2,660, and apartment-type listings $2,220. The 33% spread between entire-place and apartment revenue reflects the premium that whole-unit coastal listings command. The luxury ADR tier reached $331 per night against the market average of $156, a 112% premium. The entire-home tier averaged $200 per night. Notably, professionally managed properties in this market averaged $137 per night ADR, below the market mean, reflecting that PM companies here skew toward furnished apartment and room-rental inventory rather than vacation homes.
Annual revenue has grown from $2,840 per month in 2021 to $3,075 in 2025. ADR grew from $159 in 2021 to $187 in 2025, a 17.6% increase over four years. The market has held relatively stable since 2022 ($3,000/month) through 2025 ($3,075/month). The total market score of 48.9 is below the 50-point midpoint, signaling a moderate rather than high-performance market.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The Milford market shows an average booking lead time of 30.9 days (roughly 4 to 5 weeks) and an average length of stay of 4.85 nights. The shorter lead time compared with New England coastal resort markets reflects both the commuter-corridor character of Milford (Metro-North access, I-95 proximity) and shorter-notice summer beach bookings.
The 4.85-night average stay suggests a mix of 4- to 5-night summer vacations and extended business or relocation stays. Operators using a 4- to 5-night minimum during July and August can reduce turnover while staying accessible to guests planning typical summer beach trips. Shorter minimums of 2 to 3 nights in shoulder months (September through May) help maintain occupancy in months where the market runs 48% to 65%.
ADR ranges from $122 in February to $194 in August, a 59% spread. Seasonal rate management is meaningful; pricing should be set and adjusted approximately 4 to 5 weeks before target dates to align with the booking window.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Short-term rentals in Milford are regulated by an ordinance administered through the Department of Permitting and Land Use. On May 4-5, 2026, the Milford Board of Aldermen approved a new annual STR licensing system (9-6 vote), reported at approximately $50 per year. The ordinance exempts accessory dwelling units (ADUs) from the registration requirement. A provision requiring hosts to collect and retain guests’ personal identifying information was removed prior to passage over privacy concerns.
Some third-party guides cite an older $150 annual fee and zone-specific minimum rental periods; these figures predate or conflict with the May 2026 ordinance and should be verified against the current city code with the Milford Department of Permitting and Land Use before relying on them.
Regardless of local registration requirements, Connecticut levies a 15% state room occupancy tax on stays of 30 days or fewer. This is one of the highest state lodging tax rates in the United States. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit the state room occupancy tax on behalf of hosts in Connecticut. Enforcement is rated moderate. Investors should confirm current registration requirements, fees, and any zoning restrictions directly with the City of Milford.
Market Comparison
Milford’s April 2026 ADR of $156 is below the U.S. STR median ADR of approximately $220. April occupancy of 59.9% exceeds the U.S. median of approximately 55%, reflecting solid year-round demand in a commuter-corridor coastal market. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 58.9% is near the national median.
The 15% Connecticut state room occupancy tax is among the highest state lodging tax rates in the U.S., a material consideration for investors in net yield calculations. Revenue growth of 0.7% year over year in April 2026 is modest.
Compass Furnished Apartments leads the professional management landscape with 54 listings (1.5% of the 3,722-listing market) and 51 reviews at a 4.45 average rating. Housing solutions manages 50 listings (1.3%, 4.71 rating), and Evolve holds 29 listings (0.8%, 4.26 rating). iTrip Vacations manages 17 listings (0.5%, 4.90 rating), and Premium Trips holds 14 listings (0.4%, 4.52 rating). The top five account for 164 listings or 4.4% of inventory, a primarily independent-operator market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Milford, Connecticut
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