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 66%. average monthly revenue in the Stamford/New Haven market area is $4,361. average daily rate in the Stamford/New Haven market area is $238. 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan | 48% |
| Feb | 58% |
| Mar | 60% |
| Apr | 63% |
| May | 64% |
| Jun | 67% |
| Jul | 71% |
| Aug | 70% |
| Sep | 62% |
| Oct | 61% |
| Nov | 57% |
| Dec | 53% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Milford are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Milford 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 | 63.1% |
| vrbo | 5.1% |
| both | 31.8% |
Home Value Trends (Milford)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Milford 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 Milford — 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
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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